A Flurry of Friendship, Infatuation & Fooling Around
by Jaffa Snakes
Summary: A collection of modern AU Kristanna based one-shots. Fluff and humour. These stories are set in the same universe as my multi-chapter story A Fable of Fidelities and Fresh Starts (featuring Facebook). You don't *have* to read that first but I'd recommend it for background & context. If you like Anna & Kristoff and a close sisterly Elsanna relationship you might even enjoy it.
1. Flawed & Perfect

This is a series of modern AU Frozen one-shots set in the _Fidelities-verse._ I would recommend reading my other fanfiction _A Fable of Fidelities &amp; Fresh Starts (featuring Facebook)_ as it will help these one-shots make sense. I don't mind spoiling that these are largely Kristanna stories, but there are some appearances by Elsa, Olaf and other characters too.

The first one-shot I open with though...well...I think you could appreciate this without reading the other story. It's set at some random point of time in the distant future (maybe a year or more after _Fidelities _ends) and it's a silly little fun one-shot. I actually wrote this halfway through writing _Fidelities_. One-shots in the future will be more plot heavy :)

* * *

**Flawed &amp; Perfect**

_Anna contemplates the many differences between Kristoff and Hans._

_..._

Kristoff was not Hans.

Hans had been perfect, but Kristoff was flawed.

Hans had been well kept, clean shaven with immaculately groomed sideburns and crisp, trendy clothing: Kristoff was a scruffpot, his hair uncut and unbrushed with a permanent five o'clock shadow and old, stained, ripped jeans and jumpers.

Hans had always known exactly the **right** thing to say and at the right time: Kristoff was often left fumbling and when he did find words they were wrong or inappropriate.

.

Kristoff would sit with her on the sofa on an evening and openly pick his nose. Anna had even caught him eating his findings once.

He would prop his booted feet up on the coffee table, no matter if they were mud ridden or not.

He would come home slick with sweat after a hard day's work or grubby from tinkering with his pickup's engine and not even bother to shower before going to bed.

But he did work hard. He held down two jobs on top of his University studies and helped out at his parents' farm.

.

Hans had always coasted by on his charm and his family's fortune: Kristoff took pride in the work that he accomplished with his own two hands.

Hans had offered her nothing but lip service: Kristoff cared about what was going on in her life, actually **cared**, and he listened to what she had to say, even if it was a lot.

Hans had pushed, never giving her time or space to think, to consider: Kristoff was patient, allowing her to set the pace in all things.

Hans had seemed to like everyone but loved no one but himself: Kristoff seemed to like no one but he loved his family and his dog more than anything, except her.

Hans was a complete fake: Kristoff was wonderfully real.

No, Kristoff was not Hans.

Hans was flawed, but Kristoff is perfect.


	2. She

.

**She**

_November 21st 2014_

This one-shot is set between chapter 14 and chapter 15 of _A Fable of Fidelities &amp; Fresh Starts (featuring Facebook)._

_**Notes **_\- I was listening to Metallica's _Nothing Else Matters _and it gave me massive Kristoff feels. I think he would totally "get" that song.

* * *

She was on his mind.

She had been on his mind ever since she had gotten into Elsa's car and driven away.

Actually...no...it had been longer than that.

She had been on his mind whenever they weren't together, when she was just in the next room, when she was sitting right damn next to him. For goodness sake. Kristoff was a broken man. And Anna was the reason.

Sometimes he cursed himself. Why in the fuck had he ever conceded to give her a ride at Oaken's service station? If he'd just had the wherewithal to say no, his life would have continued on as it was and he would have been none the wiser. He would never have known that someone could just fit into his existence so effortlessly, like she'd always belonged there. Like there had been a space waiting for her all this time. He would never have known the buzz that came with making her smile, making her laugh. He would never have known how eyes so open and so brilliantly blue (but, no, blue wasn't doing them justice...they were the colour of a tropical ocean, the northern lights, the most flawless turquoise) could draw him in so powerfully that he never wanted to escape. He would have been better off not knowing. _The higher you climb, the harder you fall._

She was in a relationship! With someone else! He had seen the way she had cooed about her man, this **Hans**. He had been **seen** it! Although...that had quelled somewhat over their days together. But she **had** gone back to him. To the apartment they **shared**!

Kristoff had wondered if he was crazy to imagine that she felt the same tug that he felt. There had been moments, all these moments, where the spark had just seemed so tangible that he thought she must have been blind not to. It had seemed like there was something so much more than just an association between them. _Association?! Friendship!_ he could imagine her arguing with a scowl and he couldn't help but smile. _Jesus Christ, I'm a moron. Arguing with a woman in my own head. I must be a mad man._

Yes, friendship. It was definitely that. And he would accept that. No matter how much he wanted to thread his fingers through her silken copper hair. No matter how much he wanted to pull her to him and kiss her sweet, rosy, smiling lips. No matter how much he wanted to be the one to make her coo and aww and...God, so many other noises. But no. He'd get over it. He'd ignore the memories of her that stubbornly tormented his mind: the feel of her hug; the way she said goodnight to him in that sleepy, soft, unguarded voice; the way she **looked** in...anything at all really but especially in the boy shorts and strappy tank she wore to bed...the curve of her perfect, little, round ass on clear display...shapely but slim legs...delicate shoulders peppered with delicious looking freckles… _No you idiot! Stop that!_ Kristoff frowned and shook his head in frustration as if he could fling the unchivalrous thoughts from his traitorous mind.

He didn't want to lose her from his life. That was the most important thing. He hadn't had a friend, a human friend anyway, in such a long time. Dogs were better than people, he'd thought. So many people had betrayed his trust, used him and hurt him in his youth that he had just given up. And he'd never felt like he was missing out on anything. Not until he'd met her.

Infernal Anna.

Now things weren't the way they were. And it was his own fault. _I should have just said no. She would have found some other sucker to help her find Elsa._

If he had maybe he wouldn't be digging around in the dirty, sludgy snow for some crap she had stupidly, spontaneously, geniusly thrown out of his car to help them escape those biker jerks.

"Asshole!" someone shouted at him as a car whizzed past.

_Yep. Can't argue with that._

He dug, his fingers freezing and numb, until he spotted something that wasn't snow and wasn't mud or grass or a rock. It was gross. It had once been a cuddly toy. It **had** been a duck.

Kristoff grinned and tucked the object in his rucksack. He would tolerate Hans. He would live on her periphery. But when she smiled, this time it would all be for him.

* * *

_**Further Notes**_

Another short one I'm afraid but next week's should be longer.

I've decided to time stamp each one-shot at the top of the page. I'll probably be flitting around in time like an indecisive Terminator so I figured it might be helpful to you guys as well as me.

Thanks for the reviews and faves/follows already! It's great to know so many of you are carrying on with me after the main plot has been finished. I hope it doesn't disappoint ;) x


	3. Olaf's Girlfriend

.

**Olaf's Girlfriend**

•••❤❤❤•••

_February 2015_

* * *

**Anna**

"I met a girl."

That was how it started. No fuss, no ceremony. He didn't even seem particularly excited. But Anna was.

"Olaf that's great! Who is she?! How did you meet her?! Are you going out with her? Can **we** meet her?!"

Kristoff's hand landed on her knee under the table and gently squeezed. It was his silent signal for her to calm down. _Yes. Calm. I can do that._

"I met her online," Olaf said conversationally, picking up a slice of pizza and taking a bite. He didn't say any more, his keen eyes drifting around the restaurant as if what was going on around them was much more interesting than what he was telling them.

After a long moment, and a shared glance between Kristoff and Anna, Kristoff spoke up.

"Does she have a name?"

"Who?"

"This **girl** you met online!" Anna burst out. If Kristoff was going to ask, then she was damn well going to!

"Oh, right. Yeah, it's Ashleen."

"And what does she look like?" Anna prodded further.

"I dunno," Olaf shrugged.

_Oh._

"Well...I'm really happy for you!" Anna smiled genuinely.

Nothing more was said about the mystery girl but as they walked back to her apartment after they'd said goodnight to Olaf, Kristoff brought it up.

"I didn't even know he was interested in girls."

"What? What do you mean? Of course he's interested in girls! Did you think he was gay?"

Kristoff smirked. "Not gay. But...I don't know. He's always been a bit **a**sexual hasn't he?"

Anna whacked him on the arm.

"I'm not judging!" he said defensively, with a chuckle. "He's just never...shown any kind of interest. He hangs out with us all the time and I've never seen him even look **twice **at **you**. Not even on your birthday. And you looked **really **hot on your birthday."

"Eww! Kristoff! Of course he wouldn't! He's like my brother!" Anna cringed.

"I'm just saying... But, hey, I was wrong apparently. I'll admit it."

They walked along in silence for a bit and Anna could feel a smile spreading on her face. Her buddy Olaf was finally finding love. And maybe this Ashleen would become part of their little family too. And then one day in the future their children and her and Kristoff's children would be best friends and they'd all go on vacation together. And her kids' godparents Elsa and Nic would be there too of course and any children they might have. She reached out and took Kristoff's hand, her smile evolving into an unreserved grin.

"Don't let your imagination run away with you," he said. She turned her head to find him watching her with clear amusement.

"Who says I am?"

"We don't even know anything about this girl. She could be a psycho, a bunny boiler. She could be awful. She could own a hundred cats."

"I like cats."

"Yeah, but a hundred? OK then, she could own a hundred **tarantulas**." He gave her a sly sidelong look. "She could be a **man**."

Anna wrenched her hand from his and whacked him on the arm again. There was more force behind it this time. _Why does he have to rain on the parade?_

He laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close into his side. Anna huffed and crossed her arms defiantly. "I'm sorry. I was only joking. I'm sure she's perfect. She'll make Olaf joyously happy and we'll dance at their wedding."

Anna softened again, even though she knew he was teasing her. _What __**will**__ Olaf's wedding be like?_

•••❤❤❤•••

**Kristoff**

Kristoff didn't see Olaf again for two weeks after they had had dinner together and he had first brought up this "girl". He was finishing up at work, lowering himself down the trunk of the tree and hopping down onto the ground before unbuckling his harness.

"You've got a visitor," his coworker Fergus muttered. Kristoff looked up, eyes darting about the expansive garden, expecting to see Anna but it was Olaf who sat on the stone steps leading up to the grand mansion house.

"Hi!" Olaf greeted enthusiastically with a swooping wave.

Kristoff smiled crookedly, curiously, at him as he approached. "Hi Olaf. What are you doing here?"

"Anna said you were at work, so I phoned your office and **they** said they'd sent you out on a job here so I came to see you."

_Well, yeah._ "I mean, **why**?" he asked with amusement.

"Oh. Well, because you're a guy right? And I need to talk to a guy. And I was hoping you could be the guy that I talk to."

_Guy talk?_ Kristoff didn't think he'd ever had a guy talk before. Certainly not one where he had been **imparting **wisdom.

"Well, alright. I can take a break. What's up?" he asked, dropping down to sit next to Olaf on the steps.

"When do you know you're ready to send naked pictures of yourself to a girl?" Olaf launched straight into it.

"What?!" Kristoff choked.

"I mean, I wouldn't care. But it seems like it's different if you're in a relationship. Is it?"

"Urr…"

"When did you first send pictures of yourself to Anna?"

"Wha-? Um, I mean…" Kristoff's bewildered frown was so ingrained he could feel the lines cutting into his forehead. "I never did."

"**Never**? Oh. Is it not usual then? Ashleen asked and I was going to do it but then I thought I should talk to you first and see if it was a good idea." Olaf seemed perplexed, his eyes wide with interest as he watched Kristoff, waiting for that so-called wisdom.

"Well…" Kristoff started carefully. "Maybe it's different for you. I mean, Anna and I see each other every day. I don't think she needs to have **pictures**." _Does she? Is __**that**__ what women want? … No. _He grimaced. _Why would she want __**that**__? _"But you have a long distance thing going on. Did she…" He hesitated, not feeling entirely comfortable with this conversation but he wanted to be a good friend and Olaf so clearly coveted his input on the matter. "Did she send **you** photos?"

"Not yet."

"**Any** photos?" Kristoff asked. He had been teasing Anna when he had said Olaf's love-interest could be a man, but there was a grain of truth in it that he couldn't ignore. As long as Olaf didn't meet this girl, she could be **anything**.

"Nope."

"I don't think you should send her anything until she's sent you a picture of herself."

"Oh, OK," Olaf agreed with easy acceptance.

"Doesn't have to be a **naked** picture," Kristoff clarified. _What the hell kind of conversation have I stumbled into?! _"Just a photo. Then you do whatever you want."

"OK, thanks," Olaf said with a grin. "That really helps. I'll see you later." He jumped up.

"I'm getting off work once I've finished clearing up the dead wood," Kristoff continued, feeling a little concerned for his bud. "Should only be half an hour. You wanna wait and we can hang out or something?"

"Nah, I got things to do. Bye Kristoff! I'll send you her picture once I've got it so you can see!"

Kristoff lifted a hand to wave goodbye and then he halted. With a panic he called after his retreating friend: "Not any naked photos!"

•❤•

The next morning was a Sunday and it was a Sunday without any work booked too, his favourite kind of day. Kristoff lay in bed contentedly, his arms wrapped around Anna. Her head lay against his shoulder. Her dishevelled hair was tickling his neck, and her fingers trailed circular patterns on his chest.

"What do you want to do today?" she asked in a soft, distracted tone.

"This," he replied certainly with a smile.

She hummed happily and pressed her lips to his collarbone. He enjoyed the sensation of her soft kisses for a few seconds before cupping her face and gently pushing her back so he could capture her lips with his.

His phone vibrated, signalling a text message. He ignored it. Then her phone beeped and he sighed and drew back. She wouldn't ignore hers. She smiled at him apologetically before turning and snatching up her phone. He reached for his too, figuring if she was going to be busy for a moment then he might as well.

"Oo, it's Olaf!" Anna said.

"Yeah, mine too," Kristoff replied curiously. He clicked on the text message and a picture of a woman with long, wavy, black hair popped up. She had full, pouty lips and dark cat-like eyes. Underneath the picture were the words. _Hey guys! Ashleen sent me a picture._

"Oh my God," Anna's stunned words were nothing more than expelled air. "She's **gorgeous**!"

Kristoff just looked at the picture, with his brow furrowed. There was something off about it. The girl was posing in front of a coloured screen and she really **was** posing. Her hands were pressed to her knees and her arms were effectively pushing her ample breasts together. The look she gave to camera was sinful and she was wearing a very delicate and kind of see-through white flowy dress. This was a photograph of a model.

"Isn't she Kristoff?" Anna asked, reaching out with one hand to clutch his arm. "Isn't she gorgeous?!"

He gave her a dry look. There was no right answer to that question.

"It looks like it's been scanned out of a magazine," he said instead.

"She must be a model," Anna mused. Kristoff didn't answer that but he did "Mm" skeptically. She gave him a worried look. "Mustn't she?"

There was no way **this** was the girl he'd been emailing. She was hiding something, even if it was just the truth of her face.

"I'm gonna tell him," he said.

"Don't you dare!" Anna admonished him with a glare.

He shook his head and put his phone down again, remembering his conversation with Olaf from the day before. _When do you know you're ready to share naked pictures of yourself with a girl?_

"Somebody's got to tell him."

•••❤❤❤•••

**Nic**

Nic was just shrugging on her jacket when her phone rang. She checked the display and smiled before answering, tucking the phone under her chin as she grabbed her knee high boots and started lacing them on.

"Kristoff! You alright mate?"

"Hey. Yeah, just Anna couldn't get through to Elsa. We wanted to check you guys are still coming?"

"Yeah, we're still coming. Elsa's on her way over now. Probably driving, that's why Anna couldn't get ahold of her." She hesitated, her hands holding her laces stilling. "You're not still worried are you?"

"I'm not worried."

Nic smirked and returned to her boots. _Liar._ "You shouldn't be. You did the right thing, dude. Everything's gonna be fine."

She heard him sigh.

"Seriously," she continued. "You guys stopped him from doing anything dumb. And now that he's finally meeting this chick, we're all gonna be there to support him when it all goes to shit."

"It might **not** go to shit."

Nic chuckled. That was Anna's sentiment talking, not Kristoff's. She **knew **he was as cynical about this whole thing as her. I mean, some fucking glamour model? And "she" wants the kid to send "her" naked pics? This had _Dispatches_ documentary special written all over it. "Yeah, well, it might not. But at least we're prepared, eh?"

"Yeah," he said. Then she heard some mumbling in the background. "Look, Olaf's here now. So we'll see you there?"

"Yep. See you tomorrow."

She hung up just as a tentative knock rapped against her door, followed by a key in the lock. Nic pulled tight the second set of laces and sat upright with an overly tolerant smile on her face to greet Elsa.

"Y'know, the point of giving you a key, was so that you wouldn't have to knock."

Elsa just smiled at that and didn't shut the door behind her.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah sure. Let's head." She snatched up her bag and strode to the door only stopping when Elsa blocked her path with a hand on her shoulder.

"Hi," Elsa said with a devious look in her eyes.

_Oh._ "Hi," Nic said with a matching slyness. Elsa leant in and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips and Nic happily accepted and returned the gesture. It had taken a long time for Elsa to be confident enough to initiate this kind of thing but she was confident enough now and Nic never took it for granted. She had been worth the wait. Nic had been with a lot of women over the years but she had never met someone like Elsa. She was heart-freezingly beautiful, brilliant, witty and **so **resilient. She provoked a childish kind of awe in Nic with everything she did. She felt like a crushing teenager, except she wasn't crushing **or** a teenager. She was a grown woman and in a **relationship **with this goddess and it wasn't just a crush. She was starting to think that **this** might be love.

Elsa drew back, just as Nic was considering pushing the door closed and pressing the other woman against the wall. "OK, we can go now," Elsa smiled, too innocently.

"Tease," Nic grumbled as they headed out the door.

•❤•

The next day, with a fourteen hour drive east behind them as well as an overnight stay in a travelodge, Elsa pulled into the diner's car park. Kristoff's pickup was already parked up. They entered the diner and scanned the crowd until they found their friends. Nic smirked when she saw how fucking nervous Kristoff looked. He saw them and his relief was palpable.

"Hey!" Anna sang and Elsa greeted her sister with a hug. Olaf stood to say hi too.

"Hi," Elsa said in return. "Been here long?"

Nic dropped down into a chair opposite Kristoff. His dog was under the table, her legs brushing against him before she realised.

"You look like you've got a hernia," she said with a mocking smile, reaching to pick up the menu.

"No I don't," he argued gruffly.

Nic laughed and then she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder as Anna bent down to squeeze her with a welcoming hug too. Nic smiled, turning her head and being met with the red-head's excitement.

"Hey Anna. Looking forward to meeting this girl?"

"Yes! Aren't you?!"

"Oh sure," Nic responded dryly. She looked past her girlfriend's sister to Olaf who was standing and chatting with Elsa. "How's **he** doing?"

Anna followed her line of sight. "I don't know," she said uncertainly. "He seems really..." She shared a glance with Kristoff.

"Blasé," he finished for her.

"Yes, blasé! **That's** it!"

"Hmm." To be honest, that wasn't a bad thing. _Blasé_ meant he wasn't getting himself all worked up and it meant that maybe his heart wasn't going to be shattered. All being well, they'd be able to laugh it off afterwards.

All settled, Nic and Elsa ordered their drinks and the five of them made idle chit chat while waiting for this sixth mysterious member to join them.

Nic was just about to launch into an anecdote about Anton's birthday party, when Kristoff's eyes went wide, looking past her to the entrance.

"Oh my God," he murmured.

Anna's eyes went wide too, and Nic shared a glance with Elsa before they turned around.

A striking, tall, curvaceous and jaw-droppingly **fit** girl had walked through the door.

"Ashleen!" Olaf's high-spirited voice called out.

•••❤❤❤•••

**Elsa**

Nic could not stop looking at Olaf's girlfriend. Elsa couldn't blame her. She was **stunning**. And she seemed completely enraptured with Olaf. Ashleen sat next to him, pretty much draping herself over him, giggling at everything he said. Olaf seemed to be enjoying the attention but it amused Elsa greatly that he was probably the **least** affected by this girl's presence of all her companions.

Anna was so very excited. Her many, many questions were little more than word vomit, and all Ashleen's responses were "delightful" (despite the fact that they weren't really). Elsa found the girl to be a little vapid but Anna was clearly won over already.

"So, how did you end up meeting Olaf anyway?" And then there was Kristoff. He was so suspicious of Ashleen and her motivations, his eyes were shooting daggers at her across the table. Anna hadn't noticed, or she probably would have been elbowing him in the side.

"I read his blog," Ashleen responded benignly to Kristoff's curt question, her eyes timidly dropping to Olaf as she spoke. "Who doesn't, right?"

"You've got a blog Olaf?" Anna asked.

"You've never heard of it?" Ashleen gasped. "Oh, it's brilliant! So inciteful and funny!"

Olaf shrugged nonchalantly. Elsa smiled.

•❤•

Elsa was in the bathroom washing her hands when her sister walked in.

"Elsa! Oh my God! What do you think?! Don't you love her?!"

"She seems fine," Elsa said diplomatically with an indulgent smile.

"She's so interesting! She's travelled all over the world! And she really likes Olaf! Don't you think, she really seems to like him?"

"She does," Elsa replied honestly. Ashleen was clearly quite smitten. She had spent all of their lunch blathering on about all the funny posts Olaf had written, quoting his written opinions like they were her own, and gazing at him with dewy starstruck eyes. "But…"

"But what?" Anna asked, looking suddenly so crushed by her hesitation that Elsa decided not to voice it.

"Nothing," Elsa said sweetly with a breezy smile. "I'm really happy for him."

"Me too," Anna grinned. As she headed into one of the stalls, Elsa dried her hands off and left the bathroom.

She started for their table but stopped when she noticed Olaf was missing. Ashleen was still there, chattering away. Nic looked like she was trying her hardest to look interested and not laugh obnoxiously. Kristoff was still glaring distrustfully, like he expected this stranger to suddenly rip her mask off and press a knife to Nic's throat.

Elsa looked around her. _He's probably just gone to the bathroom._ But then she saw him, standing at the jukebox. She wandered over.

"Are you OK?" she asked, sidling up and looking over his shoulder at the song listing.

"What?" he jumped, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Oh, yeah," he said breezily. "Just wanted to put on some tunes."

And that doubt that had been nagging away at her grew.

"Everyone seems to like Ashleen," she said conversationally. It was only a white lie. **Anna** certainly seemed to like her. And she was sure that Kristoff would too if he wasn't being so irrationally protective of Olaf.

"Yep."

She paused, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"Olaf?"

"Yep."

"What do **you** think of her?"

"She's nice."

"And attractive," Elsa added.

"Oh yes. She's beautiful," he said, but there was no feeling in it.

Elsa placed a hand on Olaf's shoulder to get his attention. He looked up at her.

"You know, you don't **have** to date this girl if you don't want to, don't you?"

Olaf seemed to sag at that. _With relief?_

"She's a bit much, isn't she?" he admitted. "She's so enthusiastic about **everything**! And…" He lowered his voice and shielded his mouth with a hand. "I think she's a bit of a nerd!"

Elsa laughed. "Let's just finish lunch," she suggested. "Say our goodbyes and you can tell her it was lovely to meet her but you're not interested in meeting again."

"I can?"

"Of course you can," Elsa said warmly. "When you meet the right person…" And her eyes drifted over to find Nic welcoming Anna back to their table, her eyes twinkling in wry amusement at whatever Ashleen was saying. She smiled. "...you'll just know."

•••❤❤❤•••

**Olaf**

Ashleen had been fun, but he was glad that was over with. She still emailed him, but it was more like it had been in the early days: as a crazy obsequious fan, not as a pushy girlfriend.

He hopped off the bus and wandered into town. What to do today? He was meeting Anna for lunch but he had a few hours until then. Bob was holding a game of baseball down at the west park; Phil and Kevin had texted him to say they were spending their day off down at a pool bar by the docks; and Ethel had sent him a ton of reminders that it was the day of the big _Arendelle Artisans_ cake market.

_Or I could just go to the library…_

He didn't even need to consider it before his feet started walking in that direction.

He stood outside for a moment, just watching her through the window. Her curly brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail today which was cute. And her brown cardigan and cream button up shirt looked really smart. She pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled warmly and professionally at a young man, about their age, as he placed his book on the counter. He turned around and left again immediately and Olaf was kind of pleased that her eyes didn't follow him. He took a deep breath and entered the building.

"Hi Olaf!" she greeted him with a bright smile, her chubby cheeks plumping out adorably.

"Hi Celia," he waved and quickly tucked his hands in his pockets to prevent any further crazy gesticulation.

"Got a book to return today?"

"Nope. Just thought I'd pop in and have a browse."

"Cool." She looked at him, then down, then around the library, and then back at him again. "There's a coffee morning upstairs."

"Oh, OK. I might check it out." Olaf pressed his fists against the lining of his pockets and rocked on his heels.

"You should," she said, biting her lip with a smile.

The moment dragged out. Olaf could not think of anything else to say. _Where are my words?!_

"Was there…" she started shyly. "...Was there anything else...I can help you with?"

_Would you care to-? Are you free-? Do you like-? … __Marry me?!_

"Not today, thanks," Olaf said. He reluctantly strode through the gate into the library and when he turned his head to check behind him he found Celia was watching him walk away.

_...You'll just know._


	4. ILY

.

**ILY**

_May 2015_

* * *

If Anna was being honest with herself, she had felt this way for a long time. She should have said it **ages** ago but she was a coward. She told herself that he knew. She reminded herself that **he** hadn't said it yet. She tried not to think about the disaster that had befallen her the **last** time she'd said it to someone. Because that wasn't fair. She couldn't compare **this** relationship to her last, complete sham that it had been. But she knew, even as she tried to not let it affect her, that "her last" was the reason she was holding back now.

She almost said it a whole bunch of times. She almost said it when she was lying in bed with him, gazing into his kind, warm eyes, communicating a thousand things but speaking not one word at all. She almost said it on that perfect evening when he threw her a disastrous birthday party. She almost said it on New Years; and when he surprised her by taking her bowling again on their third month anniversary; and when he drove out to rescue her in the middle of the night in the pouring rain when her car broke down.

But she didn't.

And neither did he.

Anna didn't know why he didn't say it. She was almost positive that he did **feel** it. It was safer somehow, the not-saying-it. Maybe he was worried about her not being able to say it back? Maybe he was worried about pushing her too soon too fast? Maybe, maybe, maybe…?

It was starting to become an obsession. _Today_, she thought. _I'll tell him today._ And when the lights were out and she was drifting to sleep it became _Tomorrow. I'll tell him tomorrow._

Opportunities came and went. He was always doing sweet stuff for her. There were countless romantic moments that were the perfect backdrop to her confession. She was tearing her hair out with frustration that she couldn't conjure up those three words, when it was all she wanted to say. And it was making her narky too.

She was starting to blame him. Why couldn't he just say it? That would have been so much easier. _Is he trying to win some __imaginary holding back competition? Is he __**trying**__ to make me lose my mind?_

One day it boiled over. He was in the kitchen making breakfast when she woke up on a Sunday. When he handed her a plate of toast, and she saw that he had imprinted smiley faces onto the bread, she lost it.

"What's this?" she asked bluntly.

"I got a stencil thing. I thought you'd like it."

_It's really goddamned cute. Of __**course**__ I like it!_

"Why?!" she burst out, angrily. "Why do you do stuff like this? What are you trying to **do** to me?!"

He looked at her, one eyebrow raised, like she was off her rocker. And she might well have been.

"I dunno…"

"Well...stop it!"

He looked so hurt for a second that Anna felt excruciatingly **bad** but then his expression changed, morphing into pure irate frustration.

"Did you overdose on your crazy pills this morning? Jeez, Anna. Just… Forget it, OK?!"

He pushed past her, out of the kitchen and down the corridor, into her living room. She heard him turn on the TV and stick it on the sports channel, turning the volume up offensively loud. He didn't even **like** sports all that much.

She stared at the smiley toast. It was mocking her. It **knew**. It was long past time. The bready face blurred with her tears and she knew too.

She drew a shaky breath and tentatively followed him into the living room.

"Kristoff?" she said, her voice sounding so pathetically weak to her own ears that she was surprised that he even heard her but he did. He turned his head to her and when he clocked her state of distress his anger faded and he swooped up from the couch to pull her into a hug. _Even though I'm being irrational, even though I'm a horrible, horrible little madam, even though…_

"I love you," she said.

She felt his arms tighten around her. He pressed a possessive kiss to the top of her head and breathily released a relieved laugh.

"I love you too."

* * *

_**Notes**_

Firstly I'd like to say thank you to reviewers _Shawn Raven_ and _Elbow7._ I know there was a problem with the comments box being down last week and I really appreciate you both making such an effort to give me feedback :) *hugs*. This Kristanna chapter is dedicated to you _Elbow7_, since you asked for it ;)

Secondly, I realised I haven't given a shout out yet to my beta, who's still sticking with me. So thanks _PeanutButterIceCream - _you're the best. Sidenote: She's not even a Kristanna shipper neither. Elsanna all the way, but she reads the fluff I write for these two dorks with such enthusiasm and it makes my world just that little bit more awesome.

And thirdly, thanks to anyone who's still popping in to read these little ficlets. Happy holidays to you all! (And if you live in the UK, channel 4 - I think, not 100% - is showing a documentary about Frozen on Christmas Day. Just a heads up if you didn't know.)

xxx


	5. Happy Birthday Dear Anna

.

**Happy Birthday Dear Anna**

_January 2015_

* * *

To be fair to himself, all Kristoff ever had were good intentions.

Anna's birthday was coming up, her 19th birthday, and he wanted it to be special. Yeah, so they had been together for less than two months. Hell, he hadn't even known her three! But that didn't matter. Anna was amazing and she had effortlessly turned his life around. He had been alone for so long. Well, not **alone** because he always had his family and Sven and they had been more than enough. But when he wasn't at his parents', he never bothered to socialise, to make an effort with his classmates or workmates or neighbours or...anyone really. People were hardly worth the bother. And then Anna came along. Anna, who had just burst into his life at just such an oddly unlikely time, like it was meant to be. He had only just been thinking about Grand Pabbie on the drive back to his parents' farm and then he'd stopped at that service station and she had demanded he take her up the North Mountain. He'd been caught off-guard, speechless, and then he'd thought..._Fuck it. Why not?_ He hadn't expected anything more than a travelling companion, although admittedly a very pretty travelling companion, but she had become so much more to him in such a short amount of time. And then she had become everything. How could he repay her for her kindness, her sweetness, her loving nature, playfulness, spirit and **fire**? He couldn't. But he could at least make her birthday something to be remembered.

But therein lay the problem. **How** could he make it something to be remembered? He didn't have the money to take her on vacation, he didn't have the balls to serenade her in public, he didn't have the skill to cook her dinner. No...he knew what it had to be. He didn't like it but he knew. He was going to have to throw her a party.

Kristoff did not like parties. Not big ones anyway. He didn't like parties where he didn't know anyone, and he certainly didn't like parties where everyone was "Crazy!" and "Having such a fun time!" But Anna did. And it was all for Anna after all. But he didn't have any freaking idea what to do. He hadn't been to a party in years (not one that wasn't hosted by his family anyway), and he'd pretty much loathed them when he had. He didn't have a clue where to start. So he asked Olaf.

That was his first mistake.

Olaf was thrilled to get involved and he had a ton of ideas. Kristoff left it up to him to sort out the guests. The little guy had known Anna since they were kids after all, and he was almost **impossibly** social. When the two of them had been out and about together, Olaf seemed to stop and say hello to every other person they passed. He must have known half of Arendelle! And so, Kristoff figured, he was much better equipped to arrange the invitation list than him. Olaf also offered to sort out the music. Kristoff was just going to put a CD on and hook up some sweet speaker system, but Olaf had a better idea. There was this song that Anna loved, he said, and he knew some guys that were in a band that sounded kind of similar. Well, that sounded a lot more special so Kristoff agreed. But he insisted he wanted to do the rest himself. Olaf gave him a bunch of contacts for "entertainment" and then they went their separate ways with their separate tasks.

Kristoff booked an entertainment act from the list Olaf had given him, and he sorted out the catering (the "catering" being that he bought the cake, chips, dips and a ton of pizzas to cook up the day before). He also had to arrange the venue. Since he wanted it to be a surprise party, he thought, _What's more surprising than having it in her own flat?_ Anna's flat was huge anyway, for a one bedroomed place and there'd be plenty of room for a gathering. At this point he got Elsa involved. Elsa had a spare key, and she could get everyone in, get the food all laid out, and decorate while Kristoff took Anna out on a date or something.

The day was approaching and Kristoff was getting more and more nervous. Anna even called him on it.

"_Are you alright?" she asked, all quiet and concerned. "You're not ill are you?"_

"_No," he replied with nervous laughter. "I've just...got a lot of work on at the moment."_

And, thank God, she'd left it at that.

On the Thursday, they'd had a nice evening in with a movie and take-out chinese food. It had been perfectly romantic and lovely and Kristoff had posed they do the same on Saturday. Anna had contacted Elsa a few days before to see if she was about at the weekend, but Elsa had laid a decent excuse on her, claiming she had to travel to Corona on business that week but maybe they could catch up the following weekend? She was clearly disappointed but, as she always did, she shrugged it off easily. _An evening in just the two of them sounds great_, she'd said. _Romantic._

On the Friday, Kristoff had lied to Anna, claiming he had to work late at the café when really he was meeting Elsa and Nic. He gave them all the food, and the decorations he'd bought. The two of them were staying in a hotel at the harbour for the weekend, whereas usually Elsa would have stayed with her sister. They were to convene with Olaf the next day and sort everything out while Kristoff distracted Anna.

On the Saturday, the big day itself, he had awoken at Anna's having come over late and spent the night. There were butterflies in his stomach threatening to turn into full blown nausea.

"Let's go out!" he said as soon as she woke up.

"Huh? What?"

"Let's go out! Let's make a day of it!"

Anna was looking at him like he had grown a second head. "Really?"

Taking a breath to quell his hysterical demeanour he tried to continue in a more laid back fashion. "Uh, sure why not? You only turn 19 once, right? I want to treat you."

She smiled at that, wide and genuinely pleased.

"How about the zoo?" he suggested. "And we could make a picnic?"

That won her over completely and before they left the apartment he tapped out a quick text to Elsa. _All clear. I'll try and keep her away until 5._

He'd kind of thought that the zoo would occupy more of their day but they were done after lunch and still had hours to go so he'd suggested the movies. Again, she'd seemed irrationally thrilled with his suggestion. There were only two movies to choose from though: a **very** "Anna" romcom which didn't start until 4pm or a slasher horror which started at 3pm. Anna took it in her stride when Kristoff had been "really keen" to try out the slasher flick (because the romcom would make them too late) but she couldn't hide the way she had squealed and flinched during the showing. People always said it was super romantic to take a girl to a horror movie because they'd be clinging to you all through it but Kristoff found he didn't agree. If anything, he felt awful. He'd much rather have her clinging to him just because she wanted to, not because she was terrified. She was white as a sheet when they exited the cinema but at least they were set to get back to hers at the right time (only half an hour late). Kristoff sent another text to Elsa before they got in his car and head back to hers. _At least she enjoyed the zoo_, he told himself.

As they had approached her building he felt himself getting sick all over again. He kept glancing at her nervously as she babbled on. What she was babbling on about, he didn't know. He couldn't hear a word of it.

_What if no one's turned up?_

_What if she hates it?_

But he needn't have worried (about that anyhow). Anna slid the key into the lock and opened the door. It was pitch dark.

"Why is it so dark?" she asked, confused and then in a slightly more scared tone. "Did you close the curtains? … Is someone here?"

"Turn the light on," Kristoff suggested.

Anna had frozen on the spot but now she squirrelled behind him, clutching onto his waist and peeking out over his shoulder. "You do it?" she asked pleadingly.

"Anna, it's fine just-"

"Please?"

_Stupid slasher movie_. He reached out and flicked the switch but the corridor was empty.

"See, it's fine. I must have left the curtains shut. Go on."

Anna shook her head. Kristoff sighed. And so he entered first, Anna following intrepidly behind him. The first door on the right was the living room so they stopped there, Anna still using him as a human shield. Kristoff reached in and turned on the big light and immediately 20 or so people jumped out from behind the furniture and the curtains. Some had been down the corridor in the kitchen and they burst out too.

"**SURPRISE!**"

Anna screamed so loud and so long that it shattered Kristoff's ear drums. She hammered her fists on his back and when he thought she was done with the screaming she just took a breath and let out another. The jubilant looks on the faces of the guests turned worried (and if her neighbours were in they'd probably already dialled 9 and 1) but then Anna's vocal terror finally came to an abrupt stop and she started laughing like a maniac.

"Elsa! Olaf!" she pushed Kristoff aside and ran into the living room to wrap her arms around her sister. "I thought you had to work!"

"That might have been a lie," Elsa said with a cunning smile which neutralised before she spoke again. Placing her hands either side of Anna's face she asked seriously: "Are you OK?"

Anna, still giggling, cast her eyes around the room. "Yes! I was really surprised."

Elsa chuckled. "I could tell. Happy Birthday."

"Did you do all this?!"

Elsa shook her head. "I helped, but it was all Kristoff's idea."

Anna spun her head around to look upon him with both a big grin and also condemnation. He smiled back kind of embarrassed, and offered her a shrug. She ran back to him and threaded her arms around his middle.

"Were you just distracting me today?"

"Maybe," he said. "Sorry about that movie. That was a bad idea."

She laughed. "Well...yeah."

"You nearly had a heart attack," he mumbled, his chagrin only growing.

"But I didn't!" she responded breezily, pushing away from him to meet his eyes. She smiled affectionately. Then she cast her eyes around the apartment again.

"Um, Kristoff?" she asked in a whisper, leaning in to be heard. "Who **are** all these people?"

His eyes widened. "You don't know them?"

"Well…" she said. "I know Elsa, of course, and Nic and Olaf…"

_Damn Olaf!_

"But it doesn't matter!" Anna assured quickly. "The most important people are here! You and **them** are here! That's what counts!"

_**I**__ could have invited __**them**__. Wait...I __**did**__ invite them._

But his peevishness with Olaf was forgotten when Anna pressed a kiss to his lips. "Thank you," she said sweetly as she drew back. Kristoff grinned goofily at her. _All worth it._

She went around then, meeting all these strangers who had turned up to wish her a happy birthday. Olaf stuck by her side, and Kristoff wandered over to Elsa and Nic.

"Well...**that** happened," he said. His heart was hammering a mile a minute.

Nic laughed. "Why the fuck did she scream like that? I'm surprised the cops haven't burst the door down!"

"We might have gone to a horror movie this afternoon," he mumbled, all chagrined again.

Elsa scowled at him. Nic laughed harder. "You fucking moron," she said.

Kristoff's mouth twisted. _Can't argue with __**that**__._

He watched across the room as Olaf eagerly introduced Anna to a group of women, most were middle aged but there was one about their age.

"Who **are** all these people?" he asked.

"**They** are from the Arendelle library," Elsa said. "And there's some fellows Olaf knows from the docks. Some he plays pool with." She glanced meaningfully at the corner of the room where a teenage boy was stuffing pizza in his mouth, looking around like he might be caught doing something wrong. "And I think that kid's my parents' neighbours' boy."

Kristoff sighed. "Did he invite **anyone** Anna knows?"

"Apparently he invited some people from the university too but they're not here yet."

"Well...that's something."

Kristoff tried to stick with Nic and Elsa as the evening wore on. He tried to chill out and enjoy himself but he couldn't help but keep his eyes on Anna. She **seemed** to be having fun, talking with all these random people, and Olaf **definitely** was.

"Stop worrying," Elsa said at one point. "She's having a good time."

Kristoff nodded, annoyed with himself that he'd been so easily readable but glad for Elsa's assurance.

More and more people had flooded in as time wore on. Anna's apartment was packed to the rafters. And she didn't seem to know a one of them. Even the guys from her university turned out to just be some randoms Olaf had met earlier that week at the bus stop.

"Why don't we do the cake now?" Elsa suggested in his ear when he clearly hadn't stopped worrying.

_The cake! _ He'd completely forgotten about it. He immediately threaded through the throng of guests into the kitchen. _Where is it? _He checked the fridge and looked on the counter but there was no sign of it. _Surely Elsa and Nic would have put it in here, right?_ He was just about to leave and find one of them when he realised with a jolt. That empty plate by the kettle had crumbs on it. Brown crumbs. The cake had been demolished already! By these vultures! He froze. A ball of rage burst to life in his chest and grew until every pore of his skin tingled with it.

"Who ate the cake?!" he hollered angrily. The kitchen fell silent, guilty wide eyes glanced at each other. "Oh, come **on**! Who eats someone's birthday cake!?"

Still silence. Mouths opened and closed but no words came out.

"Was it **you**?" He pointed in a college kid's face. "How about **you**?!" He turned on the kid's girlfriend, or just-friend or whatever the fuck she was. A greedy **monster** is what she was.

"Kristoff!" His arm was yanked back. He spun his furious eyes to the interrupter and was met with Nic's incredulity. "Leave them alone."

"They ate Anna's cake!"

"Yeah, well, what do you want them to do? Throw it back up again? It's done, man. Let it go."

He sighed heavily and glanced accusingly at the strangers holding bottles of beer he'd procured, their bellies all full of delicious triple chocolate cake that Anna would have loved.

"You don't want her to see you like this, do you?" Nic continued on, annoyingly making all kinds of sense.

"No," he spat, still glaring at those cake-eating bastards.

Fortunately for **them** there was a knock at the front door at just that moment. He swept out of the kitchen, heading for the door but Olaf got there first.

"Oo! Hello!" he greeted merrily and stood aside to let the newcomers in. He noticed Kristoff standing in the corridor, Nic following to stand beside him, and grinned. "The entertainment's here!"

Three men and two women entered, all dressed as policemen. Kristoff frowned. One was carrying a stereo and another a briefcase but that was all.

"Where are the cats?" he wondered aloud.

"Cats?" Nic asked, curiously.

"Where's the birthday girl?" one of the men was asking from the living room. Kristoff's feet moved of their own volition to the doorway to see what was going on. The crowd had moved to the edges of the room and Anna was being herded into a chair.

"Your boyfriend has reported you to the authorities," one of the women said. "Apparently you've been a very, very naughty girl."

Anna caught his eye and communicated a look of pure confusion.

"What kind of entertainment exactly did you book her?" Nic asked from next to him.

"Some animal thing," he replied holding the gaze of his girlfriend, his confusion matching hers. "They're called Pussy Patrol. Cats and that."

The stereo was put on and the opening throb of a song he knew started and immediately he felt uneasy.

Nic exploded with one single harsh laugh. "What the fuck?! Kristoff, this ain't no animal show."

But he already knew that, even before the three men ripped off their velcroed pants in tandem with the two women ripping off their shirts to reveal generous breasts confined in lacy bras. The opening chords of _Nine Inch Nail_'s _Closer_ had told him that much.

The gaze Anna had locked on him turned from confusion to surprise instantly. Two of the men (shirts now removed) were gyrating against her shoulders and one of the women was crouched down in front of her, waving her unbound, long hair in Anna's lap. The other two strippers were just dancing around provocatively, riling up the crowd. And Anna...well...Anna was screaming _Help!_ at him silently with her eyes. The dickheads from the kitchen pushed past him into the living room but he was too angry with what was happening to Anna to get angry with them again.

"God damn it!" Kristoff snarled aggressively stepping forward with intention. What that intention was exactly he didn't know, but it might well have ended with at least one of these orange, fake-tanned, shaved men being knocked out cold. Nic grabbed his arm again, but this time she pulled at him hard, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

"Easy Romeo," she said. "Let me handle this."

Nic pushed forward and turned down the speaker, quieting the music and, as a consequence, the sexy dancing too. The strippers looked at her.

"I think the birthday girl's had enough excitement. Why not treat some other guests to your...talents."

She turned the stereo up again. Anna had used the distraction to slip off the chair and was chattering away to Elsa who clasped her little sister's shoulders and was wide eyed with both shock and concern.

Olaf had sidled to Kristoff's side and was watching all the proceedings with a big, unaffected grin.

Kristoff glowered down at him.

Olaf finally turned his head up to look at him and his grin faded into puzzlement. "What?"

"What do you mean _**what**_?" Kristoff asked, aghast. "Why would you recommend these guys to me?!"

"I've got a better question," Nic asked with no small amount of amusement. "How did you not know that something called **Pussy Patrol **was a stripper agency?!"

Kristoff turned his embarrassed agitation on **her** instead. "Why would he think I would **want** this for Anna?!" he blurted. "They never said they were strippers when I phoned! There's a cat on the business card." He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and fingered out the card, passing it to Nic. "See!"

"The cat's got a heart over its privates!" Nic was laughing so hard, she had a hand clutched to her stomach. "And it's winking! Dude!"

Kristoff snatched the card back, went to put it in his wallet again and then realised _I don't fucking want this!_ and chucked it over his shoulder. Olaf watched it fall and then turned his perplexed eyes back to Kristoff.

"They're good...**aren't** they?"

"Yeah, they're great," Kristoff grumbled sardonically. The two shoulder-humping guys were now entertaining the enthusiastic middle-aged librarians, while the young one looked on with a fist over her mouth to withhold the riotous giggling. The other male stripper had been cajoled into dancing for the university guys by the university girls. The female strippers were not finding it difficult to find willing receivers for their particular display. One was dancing for the harbour guys while the other was wriggling around on the lap of a guy from the pool bar.

"Hey, you OK?" he heard Nic ask and he turned to find Anna and Elsa had approached them. Anna was giggling insanely, like she didn't understand **what** had just happened. Kristoff didn't either.

"Yeah," she said, all breathy and flustered. "Just a bit startled."

"I'm so sorry Anna!" Kristoff said quickly. "I really didn't mean to…" He drifted off.

Nic laughed again. "What? Give her the gift of strange mens' wangs flapping about her face?"

Kristoff scowled at her. _**Not**__ helping._

"That's OK," Anna said reassuringly. "It was, um, a surprise, but now it's not being directed at me, it's kind of funny."

Kristoff cast his eyes around the room uncertainly. He had successfully turned her apartment into a den of iniquity. Not really so funny.

"What's this? A sex party? Awesome!"

Kristoff turned to the new voice and found five guys standing in the hallway. Four were all carrying musical instruments in their hands, one had a laptop.

"Oh...are you the band?" he asked.

"Nah, we're a pack'a wandering sherpas," the guy in front retorted sarcastically with a smirk.

Kristoff rolled his eyes.

"Come on," he said grumpily. "You can set up in the bedroom. There should be enough space-"

He opened the door and stopped suddenly when he clocked the three people rolling around on Anna's bed: two guys and a girl in various states of undress. He averted his eyes when he realised that the girl was in the **biggest** state of undress.

"Get the fuck **out**!" he growled, focusing only on the wall.

There was some flustering and hasty pulling on of clothes and then they were squeezing past him out into the party again.

The band leader laughed again. "Awesome," he reiterated shaking his head as he stepped into the bedroom, his bandmates following.

Kristoff sighed and turned back towards the living room, rubbing his tired eyes with a hand. _This is __**not **__going well._ There was a loud smashing noise in the kitchen and he flinched bodily. _This is __**really**__ not going well._ He turned to the kitchen instead and found Anna's large salad bowl on the floor. No, it was **covering** the floor. Little pieces of pink glass were everywhere and there were two guys just staring at it in a panic.

"What happened?" Kristoff asked numbly, his rage finally surrendering to a tired acceptance.

"We were gonna make punch," the guy on the right murmured in shock, holding up a bottle of vodka to illustrate.

"We'll clean it up!" guy-on-the-left hastily offered.

"No!" Kristoff said bluntly. "No, just...don't touch anything. **I'll** sort it."

The men gingerly stepped over the glassy floor back out into the hall and Kristoff sighed wearily before reaching into the cupboard under the sink for the dustpan and brush to clean up the mess. He was on his third sweep when he heard footsteps enter the kitchen. Still on his knees, he looked up to find Elsa looking down at him with sympathy.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Kristoff said. "Is **Anna** alright?"

Elsa chuckled. "You know Anna," she said. "She's making the best of it."

"How is it going in there?"

Elsa glanced hesitantly down the corridor to the living room. The noise of guitars being tuned drifted across the hall from Anna's bedroom.

"Elsa?" Kristoff prompted.

"Everyone seems to be enjoying the...um...entertainment. But there's been a few spillages, and Nic had to break up a fist fight."

Kristoff sighed again. He felt oh-so-disheartened. _Why did I think this was a good idea?!_

Just then what could only be described as the apocalypse burst through his ears. Elsa clamped her hands over her own ears, her eyes wide and boring into him in question. _The band!_ The band had started playing. If you could call it playing. Kristoff liked rock music. He **loved** rock music. But this was hardly music. It was loud and discordant and shrieky...and **really **sweary. He could only imagine the look he was returning to Elsa was as shocked as her own. _Olaf! You fucker! _If this band sounded like a song that Anna liked he would eat his own face off. Elsa must have seen his expression doing something murderous or crazy because she reached down and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet and down the corridor. They left through the front door and Kristoff paced in the hall while Elsa leaned back against the wood of the door watching him warily. The sounds from that anarchic death metal band were, thankfully, muffled but still very audible and Kristoff was all-too-aware that he had left Anna in there.

"You should go," Elsa said.

Kristoff stopped pacing at that and his head snapped up to her with a countenance of _Are-you-serious?!_

"Both of you," she clarified. "Take Anna and get out of here. We'll stay and clear everyone out."

_So tempting. So very tempting. _

"You can take our hotel room tonight. We'll stay here."

_And so very __**generous**__ but I can't accept this._

"Kristoff, just say yes," Elsa said calmly, convincingly. "It can be my birthday present to her. You need to get out of here. You look like you're going to blow a gasket. And I know if Anna stays she's just going to get more and more flustered. You **need** to go."

Kristoff narrowed his hopeful eyes.

"Please," Elsa finished, like he would be doing **her** a favour.

_Can we? __**Can **__we? Elsa's gaze was steady and unrelenting. Kristoff felt his resolve crumble. _

"OK," he acquiesced. "Thank you! Thank you so much! Just...can you keep Anna here for ten minutes? I've just...gotta do something. I'll be right back."

"Of course," Elsa said with a soft smile, turning and entering the apartment once more. Kristoff spun on his heel and legged it down the stairs (waiting for the elevator seemed like the unreliable choice) and out into the street. _Thank God for Elsa. Maybe this evening can be salvaged after all... _He sprinted down the road to the 7-11, found what he wanted and paid, tapping his foot impatiently while the girl counted out his change, before sprinting back again.

He burst through the door of the apartment to find that the music had blessedly ended and the band were leaving, equipment in hand, with disgruntled looks on their faces. The place was still packed though, but the strippers had gone, and these **people** were getting way too familiar with their surroundings: lounging on the sofa, lounging on the floor. Too much lounging. His eyes flitted about the living room. Olaf was in there but no Anna. He couldn't find her in the kitchen either. But he did find her eventually in the bedroom, sitting on the bed with Elsa and Nic. She looked exhausted. He felt guilty.

"Hey," he said with a nod, before immediately digging out Anna's overnight bag from under the bed and throwing some of her clothes into it, along with his 7-11 shopping bag.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked in a quiet voice.

He stood up, bag already packed. Well, packed **enough**. "We're getting out of here."

"What?" she asked. She glanced at Elsa and Nic. "We can't go! We've got to clean up!"

"That can wait til tomorrow," he said. "Right?" he turned to Elsa.

"Right," Elsa confirmed, pulling her hotel keycard out of her bag and handing it to him. He smiled gratefully at his girlfriend's sister.

"I've just got to grab a couple more bits, then we're off," he said. He turned and headed out again. First, to the bathroom for their toothbrushes. Second, to the kitchen to grab some "Anna's birthday" necessities. Then he was back. Anna still looked uncertain but at his reappearance she did stand and grab her coat and follow him out of the apartment.

"I feel bad, leaving them with all that," she said when they reached the parking lot and Kristoff's pickup.

"Don't. It's your birthday. You can do whatever you want," he reassured her. "It was Elsa's idea."

"It was?"

"Yeah. She's a pretty good sister."

She grinned at him over the top of his car. "She's the best."

They got in and drove down to the harbour. It only took ten minutes, since Anna lived right in town, but it was enough time for Kristoff to feel himself unwind. Anna's hand on his knee was certainly helping with that, and she seemed quite happy. She was smiling vaguely out of the passenger window. They pulled up in the harbour parking lot and got out. Hand in hand they walked across the pedestrianised waterfront to reach the hotel. She seemed fine, but Kristoff needed to say it anyway.

He tugged on her hand.

"Hey." She stopped and looked upon him quizzically. "I'm really sorry about tonight. I ruined everything. I wanted to give you a great party. Something...memorable. But instead..." He sighed wearily.

She smiled and Kristoff was blown away by how she could still regard him with such affection after everything.

"Anna," he crumbled. "It was a disaster!"

She dropped his hand then and stepped into his space. With hands pressed flat against his chest she grinned mischievously up at him. She was so close he could count every one of the freckles that peppered her nose and cheeks.

"Well...it **was** memorable! So it can't have been a complete disaster," she joked. "I doubt I'll **ever **forget **this **birthday."

God, she was adorable. He smiled softly down at her and brushed her bangs back from her forehead with his free hand. _ If only I could have made her happy. If only I could __**make**__ her happy._ But...wait! _Yes, you can doofus! _

"I got you something," he said, pulling back from her and carrying the holdall to the bench behind him. The bench, he realised, where he had first kissed her...or she had first kissed him. The memory made him smile. It was only 2 months ago. _How is it only 2 months ago?_

He unzipped the bag and drew out the 7-11 shopping bag.

"Come here," he said, lifting his head to find her watching him with palpable excitement. He chuckled. She didn't even know what it is he'd gotten her, but the mention of a gift was enough to provoke raw enthusiasm. She approached the bench and sat down at the other end. He shifted the bag onto the floor and unwrapped the single chocolate muffin he'd bought from the store, placing it between them. He stuck a solitary candle in it and thumbed at his lighter until it caught fire.

"There," he said once the candle was lit. "I got you a proper cake, but it kind of got demolished. I know this isn't as good but-"

"Kristoff," she interrupted. She had this way of stopping him before his words became a jabbering mess and he was glad of it. "It's perfect."

He grinned.

With dewy eyes she reached for his hand. The sea breeze whipped at the candle's flame. "I love" _(his heart stopped) _"that you went to all this effort for me." The ability to breathe came back to him instantly. He sucked on his gums, trying to get the saliva working around his dry mouth before he spoke.

"I'm glad," he said. "I just wish it would have gone better." He extricated his hand from hers and went to light the candle again but she grabbed his hand again.

"Wait," she said, and her tone was playful. So was her smile. "You have to sing to me."

"What?" His eyes darted around the harbour in a panic but they were alone.

"Can you sing me _Happy Birthday_?" she asked. And how could he say no? He smiled crookedly, self-deprecatingly and cleared his throat before tentatively launching into it.

"_Happy birthday to you_," She beamed, so fully, so limitlessly that his confidence boosted and he carried on with much more conviction. "_Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Annaaaa…_" he let that note linger on and paused for a few seconds for dramatic effect. "_Happy birthday to you_."

Then, without giving her a chance to compliment his singing or to squeal or anything else she might have done, he leant forward and relit the candle.

She leant in and blew out the candle without fuss and leant back again, with her hands on her knees. She was looking at him in that affectionate way again but he didn't squirm and get uncomfortable. He just smiled back. She had this amazing way of making him believe he was enough.

"Did you make a wish?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I didn't need to."

* * *

_**Notes**_

So there was a bit I really wanted to write in, where Kristoff explains to Nic exactly what he said on the phone to the stripper agency (and how he didn't realise that it **was** a stripper agency) but it didn't flow naturally in the conversation. So instead...enjoy this deleted scene:

**Deleted Scene**

_Ring ring. Ring ring._

Kristoff twiddled _Pussy Patrol_'s business card in his fingers while he waited for someone to pick up.

A very pleasant and quite sexy sounding female voice answered the phone. "Good afternoon. Pussy Patrol. How may we service you?"

"Ah, yes, hello," Kristoff started. The woman's seductive tone had made him feel a bit hesitant and nervous. "I'd like to book you for my girlfriend's birthday party please."

"Yes, very good. How many performers will you be requiring?"

Kristoff paused. _How many cats would be good? How would __**he **__know?_

"What's the norm?" he asked.

"Well, usually, people just book one but you can have up to eight."

One seemed a bit lame. Just **one** to play with? He had envisioned a delighted Anna being swarmed with little kittens. But eight seemed like a lot.

"How about five?" he suggested.

"Very good sir. Your girlfriend is a lucky lady," she drawled and Kristoff fidgeted uncomfortably. It sounded like this cat lady was flirting with him. "Did you have a particular theme in mind, or just as it comes, if you'll excuse my turn of phrase."

Kristoff frowned. "Themes?"

"Yeah, you know, just the usual stuff. Police, nurse, fireman…"

"Wait, what?" Images of cats in little hats ran through his mind. _That sounds kind of cute I guess._ "Uh...I suppose...police?"

"Excellent choice. And do you want males or females?"

_Who cares?! A cat's a cat, right?_

"Whatever. A mix would be fine."

The lady chuckled, a husky sort of laugh. "You're in for a treat sir."

* * *

_**Further Notes**_

Can you believe it's the end of 2014? 2015 here we come! As ever, thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear from you :). Happy New Year _Frozen _fans!


	6. Sweet Disposition

.

**Sweet Disposition**

_February 2015_

* * *

"So, I've got a question."

Anna glanced up from the television to see Kristoff standing in the doorway drying a plate with a tea towel.

"Hey you don't have to do that!" she insisted vehemently. "You've been washing dishes all night at work! You shouldn't do it here too. You should be **relaxing **when you're here!"

He gave her a crooked smile. "It's alright, I don't mind. So, my question..."

She raised her eyebrows as a silent prompt.

"When I threw you that party, right? Olaf booked the band. You remember the band."

Anna winced viscerally. The band that sounded like cockerels being put through a meat blender...being run over by a combine harvester...driven by a pack of cats in heat. "Yeah I remember them."

"So, **he** said that they sounded like some song you liked. I never asked you but…" He flapped the tea towel vaguely in her direction, his countenance pure curiosity. "What did he mean? He **was** wrong, right? You don't really secretly like death metal?"

"What?" Anna laughed. "No! I don't know **what** he could have meant!" She didn't remember ever listening to music with Olaf, except for the car journey back from the North Mountain and..._Oh!_ Nic's band had been kind of loud. But not terrible like that band at her birthday. But Olaf must have thought...

"What?" Kristoff asked. Obviously her realisation must have played out on her face.

"There **was** a song I liked but Olaf must have gotten mixed up... He confused it with a different band we listened to on the same day."

"Oh, OK," Kristoff said. Accepting her explanation he turned back to the kitchen.

Anna reached for the remote and switched off the TV. She wasn't really watching it properly anyway. "Do you want to hear it?" she called out.

"Huh?" Kristoff returned loudly from the kitchen.

"The song I liked. I downloaded it. Do you want to hear it?"

He appeared again in the doorway, plateless now and with the tea towel slung over his shoulder. "Yeah, sure."

"It always reminds me of you," she added, not that he needed any more convincing.

"Really?" He grinned. "Why?" His face turned suspicious. "It's not bad is it? Like, it's a song about some loser or something?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Of course not!" He grinned again and came in to sit next to her on the couch. She smiled fondly at him and shook her head. "Doofus." She reached for her handbag and pulled out her iPod, sticking one earbud in her ear and holding out the other for him. He took it and stuck it in his own ear as Anna tapped the screen to find the song.

The opening melody seized at her heart as it always did. Every time, it transported her back to that overwhelming feeling of love and fun and belonging that she had experienced in the North Mountain the first time she had been there. It was a feeling that had never really left her since. She grinned and reached out for Kristoff's hand, scooching closer to him on the sofa to rest her head on his shoulder.

"It's nice," he said, tilting his head over hers.

"I know, right? Just listen to the words."

And he did.

They sat in silence, thumbs drawing circles against each other's hand, and listened as the song played out.

_"A moment of love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs"_

It never failed to make her heart flutter.

Kristoff turned his head to lay a kiss against her hair. "I like that this reminds you of me," he murmured. "...And now it will remind me of you."

Anna smiled. She was glad she had shared this with him. It felt right. It felt like their song.

* * *

_**Notes**_

Short but sweet this one, or at least I hope it is.

One-shot based on The Temper Trap's _Sweet Disposition.  
_Anna first hears this song in Chapter 13 of _A Fable of Fidelities and Fresh Starts (featuring Facebook)._

I'm kind of running low on ideas, so I reckon I've got a couple more one-shots in the bag but after that I can't promise anything. Looks like this story might be sputtering to a stop but thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the last few chapters.


	7. Hans' List

.

**Hans' List**

_Sometime in the distant future..._

* * *

Hans had a list.

It was a short list.

#5 on the list were his brothers. He listed them as one because they didn't count as individual people. They had sat firmly at the top of his list most of his life, but events over the years had changed that.

He hated Charles, his eldest brother, for his perfect model wife, his perfect model life and his preferential treatment by their father. Charles had never had to prove himself to anybody, and their father gave him everything in return.

He hated Robert for his accolades in journalism and the way people swooned over him for it. Smug bastard. He hated Art and Tomas for their bond, it had ever been unbreakable and, as a unit, they always looked down on others. He hated Wilf for his arrogant smarts and quick, biting wit; he hated Albie for being **so **fucking perky and naive; he hated Gil who rallied the others against him when they were kids. He hated Dan and Joseff because they followed Gil like sheep; he hated James and Henrik because they were only older than him by a few years and really should have looked out for him, but they were far too self obsessed. But most of all he hated Siegfried who was older than him by a year but had always been his mother's favourite. Siegfried had always been the baby: cherished and coddled.

Hans was the other, the extra kid, and if not for his brothers, **he **would have been his father's heir. He would have been living a cushy life and not having to prove himself every damn day.

Hans cast his eyes up, over the treeline of the park. Old, red, brick buildings peeked up over the leaves. He had known one of those apartments once. That was where he had lived, briefly, with #4 on his list.

#4 was Josh. He had been his comrade once, his closest ally. Hans had taken him under his wing and shown him ways to get anything he had wanted. He had shown him how to use his charm and his looks to his advantage. And in return Josh had kicked him out of their apartment after only four short months, claiming that he couldn't live there anymore because his girlfriend was moving in. Hans smirked. _Fucking pussy-whipped moron._ Hans hated him, sure, but not as much as he hated #3 on his list.

His eyes drifted further up to the high rises towering over the city. There, in an immaculate, luxurious apartment with an ocean view and giant black marbled island kitchen, lay a future that had once been so close, within his reach. He pushed himself up off the bench he was sat on and started to amble across the park. He couldn't bear to look at it, at what had been stolen from him so long ago. That pretentious airhead Amira had turned on him, only days before he was due to move in with her. She had ripped the rug out from underneath him. **She** had forced him to stoop so low as to **room share **with Josh. And she hadn't just stolen that life from him either. She had bad mouthed him to every fraternity in Arendelle and to every woman she knew. She had limited all his options. She had handicapped his progress. Pushed him off the ladder he was so strategically climbing. Amira was never an end point. He couldn't have stood her girlyness and idiotic priorities for too long, but she had connections. If he could have gotten in with her family, who knows where he'd be now. But no. She'd fucked him over but she didn't do it alone.

He wandered down the street to the diner he visited every day, kicking angrily at an empty can as he did. He was angry, always so angry and it started with **him**.

#2 on his list was his father. His own father who had cut him off, and when he needed his help, all his father had given him was an invitation to come home. _Admit you've failed, kid. Come back to the Southern Isles. _ But Hans would be damned if he was going back to that shit hole, where his brothers would laud their various successes over him, and his father would offer him some lackey job as a consolation prize. Never. They'd have to kill him first.

Yes it started with his father, the daily anger, but it didn't end there. Not when #1 still existed.

He reached the diner and gave his most winning smile to the chubby, middle-aged woman behind the counter through the window. She immediately stopped what she was doing and rushed to the side door. She always did. Hans smirked and went to meet her.

"Hans! Sweetheart, how are you?"

"All the better for seeing you Doris," Hans replied with a slight bow. Doris smiled at him affectionately. _Stupid, old bint. _She was putty in his hands.

"Here ya go, hun," she said, handing him a brown, paper bag. "It's meatloaf. I made it myself."

_Meatloaf?! And __**her**__ dry, mealy meatloaf too? _Hans would rather eat road kill.

"You are a beacon of light, dear woman," he said, as he plucked the bag from her fat fingers.

She gave him a look, scolding and teasing at the same time. _If I was inclined, this cow would leave everything behind and follow me to the ends of the earth._

"Now, you look after yourself, y'hear? That's an order!"

Hans turned to go and peeked inside the bag at the mashed, brown contents. It looked revolting. His stomach rumbled. He remembered the days when he had eaten out at fancy restaurants every day, for lunch **and** dinner. But now he had to settle for eating at some pigsty of a diner. And it all came down to **her**.

#1 on his list, Anna Queen. Even the memory of her name caused him to seethe with boiling, red, hot rage. It was her fault everything had gone to shit. She had given him her ultimatum, wanting to try **dating** for a while. She had turned Amira against him, scuppering everything. He had seen her sometimes, back in the early days, not only at the piss-poor lectures he had tolerated but also crossing the park every morning. Sometimes on her own but usually with her blonde bodyguard. Hans couldn't help but laugh whenever he thought of that poor fucker. Did he even know how much of a rebound he had been? Anna had been so hopelessly in love with **him**, with Hans, and then within a month she was seen dangling off the arm of some hick. At least the knowledge that he was probably now in a trash heap somewhere, herding cockroaches for a living kept him warm at night. He didn't see much of her anymore. Some years later he had read the announcement of her marriage to a Kristoff Bjorgman in the newspaper and he had laughed til he wept. He'd never even heard of him. Some nobody. He hoped she was fucking miserable with her mediocre life.

Hans sat back down onto his bench and opened the bag, removing his free dinner and shoving it in his mouth. He let his eyes wander as he did at all the happy families and sickeningly loved up couples around him. All ripe for the picking. He was exactly where he needed to be. He smiled as he looked up at the clear, night sky. It didn't look like rain tonight.

* * *

_**Notes**_

Yeah so...um...**that** happened. Not very fluffy, nor very funny and for that I apologise. As a consolation I've posted up another piece of fan art (**not** Hans related). the link will be on my profile page.

My beta gave me the prompt "Hans is homeless!" and she kept sending me it until I caved. I think she was looking for something a bit more light-hearted. Maybe like _Trading Places_ but I started writing it and I found I couldn't find the funny side of being homeless and being inside Hans' head was a dark place indeed.

So anyway, there it is. Not sure what I think of it. I'm not sure it's even canon for the _Fidelities-_verse. I'd really love to know how it landed with you guys. Feedback please!


	8. Bringing in the New Year

.

**Bringing in the New Year**

_December 31st 2014_

* * *

**Anna**

Anna had always loved New Year's Eve. There was something about it, a fresh start, a promise of a better future, that was just so inspiring. For one night of the year, the whole world was celebrating. But this was the first New Year's ever that Anna had something tangible to look forward to in the upcoming year. Before, it had been vague ideas: _maybe Elsa will open the door to me; maybe I'll meet a guy; maybe I'll get top of my class in something; maybe Dad will let me travel to his branch in Dubai, or London, or...anywhere._ But now, with the simultaneously best and worst year of her life behind her, she was ending it in a good place, an exciting place, and she was seeing in the New Year with the people that had made it the best.

Anton was throwing a party. He threw one every year apparently. He opened up the ski lifts to the top of the blue slope, where everyone would get the best view of the fireworks exploding over the North Mountain.

"You'd think I'd get special treatment," Nic complained as they stood in line. "What with working here and all."

"We should have gotten here earlier if we wanted to avoid waiting in line," Kristoff suggested.

"Oh, well, thank **you** captain hindsight."

"It's not so bad," Elsa said tactfully. "To be part of the crowd." Her eyes drifted around, taking in the sights around them with a palpable excitement.

Anna agreed with her sister wholeheartedly. There were children running around playing, much to the expasteration of their parents; there were groups of friends laughing, some drinking alcohol, some not; there were young lovers huddled together against the cold. Anna was happy to say that she was, on this New Year, part of both the latter two groups.

Yes, so it was already nearly 11pm and they weren't at the top of the mountain yet. What did it matter? What mattered was that they were all together: her and Elsa and Nic and Kristoff

and Olaf. She squeezed Kristoff with her arm looped around his middle, he smiled down at her and squeezed her back, his arm around her shoulders. _Yes, it doesn't matter at all._

It took them twenty minutes to reach the front of the queue and then they had to separate because you couldn't get more than four on a chair. Olaf ran forward immediately and sat in the centre of the seat, grinning with expectation at his friends.

Anna chuckled and unwound herself from her lazy embrace with Kristoff. She took his hand instead and pulled at him to join her on the lift with Olaf. It was only fair. Her and Kristoff had enjoyed an immensely pleasurable few days alone, just the two of them in the solitude of their hotel room. Olaf had been staying with Elsa so she doubted her sister had had much time alone with Nic at all. Kristoff didn't argue though, to be fair. They plonked down on either side of their friend. Olaf waved merrily as the chair lift started its ascent.

"Bye Elsa!"

"See you at the top," Elsa smiled.

...

~~# #~~

...

**Kristoff**

It had been three years since he had attended one of Anton's New Year bashes. He could remember quite vividly how he'd loved them when he was a kid. All the excitement, the fireworks, the thrill of being up on the mountain after sundown. And he was glad to be sharing this with Anna. She was clearly as taken with the whole event as he used to be, her eyes sparkling with expectation. She was breathtaking. It was worth it just to make her happy. But there **was **disquiet too. As they alighted from their chair lift he couldn't help himself from casting his eyes around the merry crowd looking for the people he really didn't want to see. The people he knew all too well would be here.

"I've just got to show Elsa where the loos are," Nic said as the girls' chair lift arrived. "We'll meet you back here in a sec?"

"I've gotta go too," Kristoff quickly interjected. It was true. They'd been standing in line for ages. But also he quite wanted to nose around the crowd some more. He could relax if he just knew where everyone who might antagonise him was. "I'll take Elsa. You guys get settled and we'll find you after."

"OK," Nic shrugged. She turned to Elsa. "Is that OK with you?"

Elsa smiled. "Sure. I'll see you in a bit."

"We'll be over by the toffee apples," Nic told Kristoff and he nodded.

"Toffee apples?" he heard Anna exclaim joyously as him and Elsa headed off in the direction of the porta-potties and he smiled. He caught Elsa smirking at his sappy affection and sobered instantly. It's not that Elsa made him uncomfortable...well...yes, that's exactly what it was. He hadn't quite recovered yet from the embarrassment of his emotional outburst with her. The first time he'd ever spoken to her and he'd lost it, screaming at her. In hindsight, he wished he'd kept it together, but he had been so worried about Anna at the time he'd lost all sense and reason. _She's alone, she doesn't know where she is,_ he remembered thinking. _She's vulnerable. But so stubborn...just think of the trouble she could get into._ Anna had been so optimistic about meeting with her sister, and when Elsa had pushed her away, Kristoff had felt the hurt vicariously and he had taken it out on her.

And that wasn't all it was. He found himself at a bit of a loss for words whenever Elsa was around. She was too stoic, taking her time with everything and considering her every move, every word. He'd always been surrounded by loud, bubbly people. He **liked **being around loud, bubbly people. That way he could just blend into the background. You couldn't do that with Elsa. Especially when it was only the two of them. She was far too shrewd. And then there was the fact that he'd spent all week shut away in a hotel room with her little sister. It had been amazing, the best week of his life, but it wasn't helping him, at that particular moment, feel any more at ease.

"Long line, eh?" Kristoff muttered, instantly wincing at his own inability to make make small talk.

Elsa chuckled next to him. He was sure she could read his discomfort.

"Yes it was," she said, her voice as unflustered and concise as ever. "It's a popular event."

"Always has been," Kristoff agreed with a nod. "Even when I was a kid. Nothing like this though."

They approached the temporary toilets and he scanned the crowd outside but all he saw were strange faces.

"Are you looking for someone?" Elsa asked with subdued interest.

"No," Kristoff said shortly. "Shall I meet you back here in a minute?"

"OK."

Elsa head off to the girl's stalls and Kristoff went on the other side of the barricade to the men's.

He was back to their meeting point in no time at all. He dug his hands in his pockets and tried to hide himself in the shadows of a water bottle stall while he waited. Being inconspicuous had been a difficulty for him ever since he was about fourteen, when a growth spurt had suddenly made him stand out from the crowd for no other reason than his height, but he'd had practice now. He was watching the passersby so intently, so focused on finding those unwanted faces, that it made him literally jump when a voice called his name from close by his ear.

"Kristoff! I was hoping you'd be here!"

Instinctively he recoiled, his insides seizing and shrivelling into a ball of bitterness. And he was angry at himself too, that she'd been able to creep up on him like that. Schooling his face into neutrality he turned.

"Himani," he said.

She was drunk. Not paralytic but merry, tottering close to his side with a sloppy grin.

"You're not here alone are you?" she drawled. Despite the bleariness in her eyes and the slightly smudged lipstick she was beautiful as ever. Beautiful and thoroughly unattractive. "Where's that red-head that follows you everywhere?"

"You mean my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend is it?" Himani smirked, pressing a hand to his chest as she leaned in close. "I thought she was your wife. She should keep a better eye on you."

"There's no reason to." Kristoff plucked her fingers off his coat and stepped away from her, sneering down his nose instinctively. "What do you want?"

"Oh I don't know," Himani shrugged coyly, not taking his retreat for an answer and prowling towards him. "Maybe I was just feeling nostalgic." She smiled with intent and Kristoff knew exactly where she was going with this. He looked behind her, hoping to God that Elsa was on her way and they could skidaddle but she was nowhere to be seen. "Remember when we came to this bash together? Was it three years ago?"

_Four._ Kristoff frowned, his eyes darting left and right for any kind of intervention. "I don't remember."

"Oh sure you do." She narrowed her eyes and stepped in close to him again, the water stand bins were behind him blocking him from backing away any further. "That was a great New Year, wasn't it? I **know** you can't have forgotten. I bet your **girlfriend** can't make you feel as good as **I **made you feel. What is she? Like, fifteen? You've had a **real **woman..."

Himani couldn't have been more wrong if she'd tried. Anna was no seductress, she didn't talk dirty and she didn't try and turn him on in ridiculously staged ways but, God, she didn't need to. He didn't **want **her to. He just wanted Anna and Anna (and everything that they had together) was more than enough. Nothing could compare. The fucking arrogance of this woman was confounding. She was a grown woman who'd seduced a teenage boy. Oh and how he'd loved her. No, how he'd **thought** he loved her. He'd thought there must have been some special connection between them. He knew now that it was merely immature infatuation. Blind lust, the kind that is born and dies within the teenage years for a lot of men, had fooled him. He had thought her a worldly woman, a vixen, a goddess! But she was pathetic. She had merely been playing with her new toy. His success in the tournament had made him a prize to be desired, popular for stupidly shallow reasons, and when a new shiny bauble caught her interest Himani had abandoned him and sold out all his secrets to the highest bidder. She'd sold out him and Grand Pabbie and he'd had no choice but to flee the mountain for good. Or...not for good as it turned out. Anna had brought him back. _Yes, who gives a fuck what Himani wants? Anna's just over there. Anna...and my friends too. People I __**actually**__ want to spend New Year with._

"...tell me you're not intrigued Kristoff," she purred, rolling the r of his name in a way he supposed she thought was sexy. "Tell me you don't want it. Your sweet teenage bride never has to know."

He clamped his hands to her shoulders and, because he couldn't back up anymore, he pushed her solidly away. "I don't want it," he said firmly, enunciating every syllable and leaning in intimidatingly.

"Oo...little Kristoff all grown up. I like this dominant side of you," she winked.

He snatched his hands back and flinched away. "Oh just...fuck off Himani."

"Kristoff? Is everything OK?"

_Elsa!_ Thank God! He'd never been so glad to see someone in his life, but why did she have to appear right at the moment he was talking so intimately with another woman? _For fuck's sake._

"Yeah, it's fine. Let's go." He glared at Himani and swept away. He didn't miss the confused look Elsa shot at his tormentor before she hurried after him.

"Was that the woman from the Ice Palace?"

"Yeah."

"How do you know her?"

"Trust me. I wish I didn't."

Elsa didn't probe further and Kristoff was grateful, even as he scowled at the snow as they weaved through the crowd. The crowd bunched up quickly, the amount of people who had thought to use the toilet before finding a spot to view the firework display making their progress slow to a halt.

Kristoff sighed in frustration. Elsa looked around her, to the right, to the left, standing on tiptoes to try and see what the holdup was.

"Hey, it'll be fine," she said confidently, soothingly. "We've still got half an hour til midnight. There's no need to worry."

_She's right. I should relax. Enjoy my evening. _Seeing Himani had riled him up, but it was over now. She wouldn't bother trying to antagonise him again, not with Elsa here.

They stood as patiently as they could and made stilted small talk. The crowd inched forward and it seemed like they were nearly out of the herd when he heard it. The **other** voice he really didn't want to hear.

"Bjorgman!"

Kristoff squeezed his eyes shut tight. _Just ignore him._

"Hey Bjorgman! I'm talkin' at you!"

He shared a look with Elsa and grimaced before reluctantly turning round.

Jake was stomping towards him, visibly more drunk than Himani had been. His cheeks were flushed with the effect of the alcohol swimming in his veins, and his eyes were narrowed in rage. _Fucking great._

"Happy New Year Jake," Kristoff offered, thinking if he could just stay friendly this exchange might peter out into nothing.

"I didn't believe it but here you are! I thought I told you to stay the fuck off my mountain!"

He strode forward without hesitation and gave Kristoff a solid push backwards.

"Hey!" Elsa exclaimed, stepping in like she might intervene. Kristoff put a hand out to stop her and shook his head. Turned out Elsa could be as foolhardy as her sister when faced with injustice. There was no way he was gonna let her get caught in the middle of this. "It's fine," he told Elsa then he turned to Jake again.

"Look, everyone's just here trying to enjoy the party. Can't we-"

But his sane proposal was cut short when a fist slammed right into his nose.

...

~~# #~~

...

**Nic**

Nic blew on her numb fingers and rubbed her hands together. Her eyes scanned the crowd for any sign of Elsa or Kristoff.

Anna was getting more and more agitated as the minutes wore on. "Where are they? They're going to miss it!"

Her toffee apple (or candy apple or whatever they called it over here) consumed, and the stick discarded on the blanket beneath them, she was now frantically searching for any sign of her boyfriend or sister.

"They'll be here. It's probably really busy over there," Nic reasoned. Not that she wasn't wondering about them herself. They were seriously in danger of missing the countdown if they delayed much longer. Anna and Olaf were fun and all but they were hardly the people she would have chosen to see the New Year in with. No. She'd been excited about seeing it in with Elsa. Sitting under the stars, watching the fireworks, maybe making out a bit. If she'd had her way, they would have been here just the two of them. But Elsa was excited about spending it with her sister and her childhood friend and Nic wasn't going to argue. She hardly could. She'd only been officially seeing Elsa for, what was it now, thirty-eight days? No, thirty-nine. Their relationship wasn't established enough to be making demands on her time like that. She didn't want to come on too strong. And anyway, one of the biggest deals for Elsa about coming out had been the acceptance that Anna had shown her. Now, after years of trying to stay away from her sister, she could finally be herself and Anna loved her all the same. Probably more, Nic thought wryly. Anna seemed like the sort of person who really liked being included in things.

"What if they've gotten lost?"

"Kristoff knows his way around. They'll be fine," Nic assured.

"They won't miss the fireworks!" Olaf said optimistically. "Who'd want to miss that?"

"I'm not saying they **want** to miss anything, Olaf," Anna argued. "But what if something's happened? Maybe we should look for them."

"What if we go looking for them and then they come here and can't find us?" Nic pointed out. Anna pursed her lips as she considered that then nodded but she didn't look happy about it.

"Hey Nic!" a young male voice called out. Nic looked up and around until she saw the owner of the voice approaching, his grin wide, and his eyes shone with excitement...and probably with alcohol too.

"Alright Seij? How you doin' bra?"

"Awesome! This party is the bomb!" Nic laughed. Seiji was only sixteen and was easily impressed.

"Anna, Olaf, this is Seiji," Nic introduced. Anna and Olaf waved hello, though Anna still looked preoccupied. "He won the tournament a couple of weeks ago."

"You did?" Olaf enthused. "Wow! But you're younger than me!"

Seiji was still grinning from ear to ear, his white teeth bright, even in the dark light, and contrasted by his shoulder length black-as-night hair.

"What can I say? It comes naturally to some."

Nic rolled her eyes. The kid was nice and he was dead good at skiing and she was really happy that he'd won, but he sure was full of himself.

"Anna is Kristoff Bjorgman's girlfriend," she explained. "He's here tonight too."

"No shit?!" Seiji seemed pretty impressed, as Nic knew he would be. "Dude's like my hero! I was here when he won his first tournament. I was only, what, twelve at the time? I remember seeing him accept his trophy and my dad said to me _That could be you __Seij. All you have to do is want it enough._ And I really wanted it."

"He deserved it," Nic conceded. "Boy's got skills. Jake didn't stand a chance this year."

"Jake lost?" Anna asked, now fully invested in this conversation. "Of course he lost," she confirmed to herself in a mutter. "They couldn't **both** win could they?"

Nic laughed. "Yeah he lost and, man, was he pissed off."

"I thought he was gonna hit me," Seiji said but he didn't look scared or angry. He was laughing. "Dude needs to get laid."

_Yeah I bet you're a real expert on that, aren't ya?_ Nic smirked.

"Jake may be a wanker, but he's not about to attack a kid. Especially not one who showed him up. It'd make him look bad," Nic shrugged.

"I'm not a kid," Seiji argued, crossing his arms and lifting his chin in some kind of impersonation of Captain America or something. Kid was adorable.

"Sure you're not."

"No...I'm a champion!" he cheered, lifting his arms in the air victoriously and Nic laughed as a dozen sheep behind him whooped and cheered along with him. He had everyone wrapped around his little finger and it looked like he was enjoying it. _Good for him_.

"Check you guys later," Seiji saluted and made to leave but he hesitated and pointed at Anna. "Come find me later with Kristoff. I'd love to meet him."

"Will do," Anna smiled, but Nic could see that her heart wasn't really in it. She was still worrying. This girl had, like, no control hiding her emotions whatsoever.

"I like him," Olaf said after he'd jogged off to be with his adoring public.

"Yeah he's alright," Nic agreed. "Bit up himself but, hey, he's sixteen. Gotta let him have his moment."

"What's going on?" Anna asked out of nowhere, her eyes wide and looking past them into the crowd. Nic turned and frowned when she saw the kerfuffle on the far side of the crowd. Lots of people were gossipping frantically, pointing and some were dashing away...in the direction of the portaloos. Gradually the hubbub spread across the crowd and Nic pushed herself to her feet.

"Stay here," she muttered to Olaf and Anna. "I'll find out."

She weaved through the crowd, past hordes of strangers until she saw a group of guys she **did** know. "Yo, Amel!"

Surrounded by his mates and the general rising noise of the crowd, Amel heard her anyway and turned. He didn't smile which was unlike him. Something was wrong.

"What's going on man?"

"Something to do with Jake," Amel replied. "People are saying there's a fight or something."

_Fucking Jake._ He'd been stewing ever since his loss. It was only a matter of time before he boiled over.

One of Amel's friends jogged over. Nic couldn't remember his name. Was it Tom?

"What's going on T?"

_Probably Tom._

"Dude. It's that kid you used to know. The skiier."

"Kristoff?" Amel asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah, that's the guy."

"Kristoff…" Nic was as surprised as Amel. Granted, she hadn't known Kristoff that long but he didn't seem like the fighting type. "...is fighting Jake?"

Tom nodded. Amel shook his head, anger evident in his expression and immediately bolted off towards the toilets. Nic turned hesitantly to find Anna was watching them with fierce interest. She huffed air through her teeth.

_Fuck. I'm going to have to tell her._

...

~~# #~~

...

**Elsa**

"Here," Elsa said offering Kristoff a fresh tissue. His head was tilted forward and he was pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand. The other had a bloody tissue pressed to his nostrils. He glanced up from under his eyebrows, balled up the bloody tissue and took the new one.

"Thanks."

"How are you feeling?"

"Peachy," he grumbled sarcastically. He had barely made eye contact with her ever since the incident.

Elsa's focus drifted away, across the first aid tent to where Jake was retching into a bucket, a volunteer nurse hovering by him as well as some of his cronies. She cringed.

"I think you came out of it better, if that helps," she offered but when she turned back she saw the sentiment had only left Kristoff disgruntled. Elsa frowned. "It's..." she started tentatively. He still didn't look up at her. "It's not your fault. You do realise that don't you?" When he didn't respond she pushed forward. "It was self-defence Kristoff. You had to stand up for yourself."

He sighed in exasperation, and looked up sharply then, wincing as he pulled at something or other that had been injured. Elsa's frown softened with sympathy.

"I just wish you hadn't been there," he said, looking pretty sorry for himself. "I mean," he hastily added. "I just don't want you thinking that I'm the kind of guy who would- I'm really not-" He sighed again, glancing at her briefly and away.

Elsa thought she understood. He was ashamed to have gotten into a fight in front of his girlfriend's sister. The notion that Elsa's opinion would matter at all was slightly odd to her. She had been so withdrawn from Anna's life for so long that she didn't really believe that her opinion had any weight at all but she had to admit it felt kind of...nice. To have Anna care about what she had to say was one thing, but to have her boyfriend nervous to be accepted by her was a whole other level.

"I don't judge you for what happened," she said carefully. He looked up at her. "Really," she insisted. He nodded, with a slight smile, wincing when again he pulled at something. Elsa smiled back.

"Kristoff, dude!"

Elsa turned to see Amel dart into the tent. That girl from the Ice Palace was behind him. "What the fuck happened?"

Kristoff groaned, pressing the tissue back against his nose and dropping his head forward again.

"I don't know," he muttered. "He just came out of nowhere."

"I'm so sorry!" the girl from the Ice Palace blurted. She **looked** pretty sorry, but whatever she was sorry **for** Elsa had no idea. "I didn't know he'd...**hit** you! I just thought- I just told him- I didn't mean to-"

Kristoff was frowning again, glaring at the ground.

Elsa decided to intervene.

"Come on," she said to the girl, placing a hand against her shoulder to lead her away from the boys. "Let's give him a bit of space shall we?"

"Can you tell him I'm sorry?" the girl asked desperately when Elsa had led her back to the entrance of the tent. "I don't want him thinking badly of me."

Elsa remembered how he'd been earlier, when she'd found the two of them outside the porta-potties. If she guessed, she'd say he thought pretty badly of her before the Jake incident.

"I'll tell him," she said diplomatically.

The girl nodded, eyes wide and darting around the interior of the tent from Kristoff to Jake and his friends.

"I'm Elsa," she said, trying to calm the girl down. "I met you once before."

That got the girl's attention and she looked at her, taking her in properly. "Oh right, yeah. You were looking for work, right?" It had been the weekend she had fled from her parents' home. She had arrived in the North Mountain and, in a panic she had frantically asked around for any kind of work. In her frazzled mind she had been thinking, if I can't work, how can I support myself? She didn't know who she **was** without a job, a purpose. Luckily she had bumped into Nic not long after that. Like a tonic Nic had calmed her down, hooked her up with accomodation and...just been there for her. Making everything seem much less...**huge**. "I'm Himani."

"How do you know Kristoff Himani?" Elsa asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Just from around the mountain. We used to work together," Himani explained, her restless gaze finding the man in question again.

Elsa narrowed her eyes. There was more to this relationship...but she wasn't sure she really needed or wanted to know what it was exactly. Before she could debate the merits of questioning Himani further though, there was a flurry of activity at the entrance to the tent.

Nic's boss Anton came bursting in, a veritable crowd of people on his tails. The crowd hovered by the tent flap but Anton came striding past them with purpose straight towards Kristoff.

"Kristoff, son," he proclaimed, arms reaching out to the younger man. He gripped him by the shoulders. "What on earth have you gotten mixed up in?"

"I don't know, Anton. I don't even remember what happened."

"I'll tell you what happened!" Jake bellowed from his side of the tent. He scrambled to his feet blearily, holding his stomach with one hand. "This snake sucker punched me!"

Elsa frowned and stepped towards the lying weasal ready to intervene but it was unnecessary.

"That's not true!" some random woman declared from the tent's entrance. "He was minding his own business when **you **went after **him**!"

There was a hum of agreement from the crowd. Elsa lifted an eyebrow and turned back to Anton to see his reaction. He was frowning.

"Anton, come on man!" Jake argued. "Just listen for a minute-"

"No, Jake. I don't think I will _just listen for a minute_. I will not tolerate fighting at this godforsaken party...a party I can't fucking **stand** but that everyone fucking expects me to hold every God damned year!" Anton exploded. Elsa's eyebrows raised. "You've had a million chances with me. No more, you hear me? Come on!"

"Wh- Where...where are we going?" Jake asked, glancing at his friends to intercede. They all shrunk back, obviously not wanting to get involved.

"**I'm **not going anywhere," Anton said dismissively, gripping the elbow of the drunken, beaten boy. "You, on the other hand are getting the fuck off my mountain."

Jake laughed, he actually laughed, and he tried to share his mirth with his little posse but none of them would make eye contact with him.

"What? You've got to be kidding?" he said, aiming his joviality indiscriminately around the tent. No one was on his side.

"Come on kid," Anton replied. He had no trace of humour in him as he yanked at Jake's arm to drag him from the tent. "Let's get moving."

"Wh-? But- Come on!" he pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears. Two dozen unsympathetic eyes bore into him as he was manhandled from the tent.

Elsa coolly watched them go with before heading back to Kristoff and Amel.

"You alright?" she asked.

Kristoff nodded. "I just… What the hell?!"

"He's been asking for it," Amel explained with a shrug. "You just happened to be there to soak up his crazy."

"Hey, Kristoff?" a new voice interrupted. Elsa looked up to see Jake's cronies standing by her side. The blonde girl was in front. "I...I'm really sorry about Jake. He doesn't know when to let things go sometimes, y'know?"

"He can be a right royal cuntsometimes," the dark haired girl offered awkwardly. The boys nodded in agreement.

"Um...yeah, whatever," Kristoff responded uncertainly.

"See you later," the blonde girl said again but she paused before they left. "Happy New Year."

"Urr...yeah...you too."

The four left from the tent, and Elsa watched them go kind of confused. She turned her bewildered eyes to Kristoff and Amel who glanced at each other and her with equal befuddlement.

"So...that was weird," Amel stated obviously, and they all laughed. It was like a release. The tension that had existed ever since Jake had thrown his fist into Kristoff's face surrendered to tears of mirth and stomach-clenching laughter. Kristoff winced as he pulled something but it only fuelled him on.

"God, what an evening," he choked through the giggles.

That it was. It wasn't even midnight yet. _Midnight!_ Elsa wiped at her watery eyes. They had to find the others. They were going to be so worried!

"Excuse me, oh, excuse me please." _Anna!_ They had found them. Elsa smiled.

"Out the way!" And Elsa's smile grew, at Nic's brash, unforgiving tone. The girls stumbled through the crowd into the tent and Anna froze, eyes widening. She vaulted across the tent's interior, crouching down before Kristoff and taking his head in her hands.

"What happened to you? Are you OK? Why did he **do** that to you?"

Kristoff smiled softly and gently pulled her hands away from his face. "I'm fine. God, you have no idea how good it is to see you."

Anna returned his smile and leant forward to tenderly kiss his knuckles and Elsa turned away.

"Hey," Nic said, sidling up next to her. "I leave you alone for two minutes…"

Elsa crooked a wry smile. "What can I say? Trouble seems to follow me wherever I go."

"Can we all go outside and watch the fireworks now!" Olaf blurted impatiently. Elsa smiled at him. He was holding two candy apples and he offered one to her with a wide, tempting grin. "I got you a toffee apple."

...

~~# #~~

...

**Olaf**

Olaf threaded through the crowd, gloved hands in his pockets to ward off the biting cold. He passed Kristoff chatting to Seiji and stopped next to Anna and Elsa. Behind Elsa, Nic, Amel and Anton were laughing about something.

"Good, you're back!" Anna greeted him. "I thought you were going to miss it!"

Olaf laughed. She was such a drama queen. "I was only at the trash can!" He grinned at the sky. "I can't wait for these fireworks. Nic said they're phenomenal!"

"Well, luckily you won't have to wait long," Elsa said, bending forward slightly to look past Anna at him. She pulled back her glove to check her wristwatch. "It's 11:58."

Olaf felt a tingle of anticipation. He loved fireworks, but every year he watched them in his parents' back garden with them and their friends if they were throwing one of their soirées, or just by himself if they were away.

Last year he'd gone to a party at the house of one of the synchronised swim team he'd met. Even though he hadn't really known anyone there, it had been fun. The best New Year's ever...until this one.

"You two got New Year's resolutions?" he asked.

"I can't think of anything," Anna said. "I just hope next New Year is exactly like this one."

"**Exactly** like this one?" Elsa chuckled. "With us getting separated and Kristoff being attacked?"

Olaf laughed.

"**No**," Anna countered petulantly. "Not like **that**, I just meant all of us together.

Olaf smiled. He hoped it would be that too.

"Was it bad?" Anna continued, watching Kristoff, worrying her bottom lip.

"He held his own well," Elsa assured her. "Actually it was quite impressive."

Anna raised an eyebrow sharing a glance with Olaf before turning back to her sister. "Elsa! I never knew you were so blood thirsty!"

Elsa rolled her eyes. Olaf smirked. He loved watching the banter with the sisters. He loved being a part of this dynamic. There was actually nothing he loved more.

"I didn't mean it like that," Elsa said in an exasperated tone of voice. "I just meant he knows how to stand up for himself."

"Yeah…" Anna agreed, her anxious countenance melting into something gross and sappy. "I'm not surprised. He's pretty strong. You'd be amazed the things that he can do."

"Ew!" Elsa exclaimed, her expression screwing up and hands flying up to clamp over her ears. "Please stop talking." Elsa looked to Olaf. "Has she stopped talking?"

Olaf nodded. Anna grinned at him and he grinned back with a shared amusement at Elsa's oddness. What was so disgusting about Kristoff being strong? He clearly **was**. You just had to look at him.

"Yes, yes, very funny I'm sure," Elsa said dryly, lowering her hands again. "What about you Olaf? Do you have a New Year's resolution?"

He did. He'd had one ready for a while. Well, he had two in actuality but one of them he wasn't going to share. It was just for him to know. "I'm going to apply for college this year. It gets kind of boring just pottering about town all the time."

"Oh, Olaf! That's great!" Anna squealed. "Are you going to come to Arendelle? Come to Arendelle! What are you going to study?"

"I'm not sure what I want to study yet. I need to think about it, look at some brochures. But I'd like to come to Arendelle, yes. That way I can see you and Kristoff and Elsa when she visits."

Anna grinned.

"I'm really proud of you," Elsa said and Olaf beamed.

"Hey, you never said what your one was," Anna pointed out to Elsa. "Your resolution."

"Oh...mine is mundane," Elsa replied, her eyes turning up to the sky. "I just resolve to make as much time as possible for my family and my friends. Well…" she smiled. "For you two really. And…" she turned her dreamy focus briefly to her girlfriend who was distracted in conversation with Amel "...for Nic of course. I've been far too introspective for far too long."

Olaf smiled and Anna looked like she was going to cry so he took her hand and nudged her with his elbow. It seemed to work anyway as she smiled at him and then went to take Elsa's hand with her other.

"That's a good one," she said. "I think I might make it mine as well."

Only seconds later the first burst of colour filled the sky.

"Happy New Year guys!" Olaf said gleefully, his voice rising to be heard over the bangs of the fireworks and the "Oo"ing of the crowd.

"Happy New Year Olaf!" Anna said, pulling her hand from his to tug him into a one-armed hug. Her other arm went around her sister. "Happy New Year Elsa!"

"Happy New Year you two," Elsa said looping her arm around Olaf making their group a complete circle.

Olaf grinned. He had never felt so much a part of something as he did with the Queen sisters. Like a part of a family. His head was turned over Elsa's shoulder (so as to avoid being smothered by her fancy perfume and away from the danger of Anna planting a big OTT kiss on his face) and he saw Kristoff looking over at them like he was a yearning puppy and they were a plate of chops. He pushed himself out of their tight embrace.

"Go on, you two. Off to your significant others. Before they scratch my eyes out in a fit of jealousy," he winked. Elsa smiled and immediately whirled away to hug and kiss an expectant, grinning Nic. Anna pressed a big, soppy kiss to Olaf's cheek, just like he had been trying to avoid. He grimaced and wiped a hand down his cheek, glaring at her, but she was already off launching herself at Kristoff. He hastily caught her and winced and she immediately started apologising. Olaf laughed.

"Alright dude?" that skiier Seiji said, approaching him now that Kristoff's attention had been stolen away. "Olaf wasn't it?"

"Yep. And you're Seiji. The tournament champion. Hey!" He was struck with a brilliant idea. "Could I come skiing with you sometime?"

"Sure, why not. Any friend of Kristoff Bjorgman's, y'know."

"Great!"

"Happy New Year man," Seiji said, lifting a bottle to him in salutation.

Olaf didn't have a drink so he fist bumped it instead. "Happy New Year," he returned.

_It __**is**__ a happy New Year, _Olaf thought with a smile as he turned his attention back to the fireworks illuminating over the North Mountain town below. _Resplendent with possibilities_.

~#~

* * *

_**Notes**_

Firstly I must apologise for the delay between chapters. My beta has been super busy recently so I didn't want to bug her with my hobby-fic. Also, as I said before, I'm a bit low on ideas/motivation which leads me to...

Secondly, thanks **so** much for the messages/reviews from last chapter. It was great to read other people's opinions about Hans and how he appears in this story. Thanks in particular to JBHarris since you're a guest and can't PM you to let you know how much I appreciated your lovely review. And in response to all your great ideas, I love them, so many threads to stimulate the ol' brain. I've actually started to run with one that Shadow Fax also requested in review: the time jump wedding. However, I am not writing as prolifically at the moment due to largely the fact that I am 15 weeks pregnant and absolutely shattered by the time evening comes. It might take me a while to write but I'll get there eventually.

Anyway, thanks for continuing to read and support this fic. I've got one more chapter after this one that's completed but then things might slow down. I do have one further chapter based in the Fidelities-verse but it is NSFW and since all of this fic has been strictly "T" I've been nervous about posting it. I'll see if I can work up the courage to share it... :P Maybe as a standalone piece? I digress...have a great week!


	9. Truth or Dare

.

**Truth or Dare**

_March 2015_

* * *

_How the hell did I let this happen?_

Kristoff's face was burning with shame as he was pushed into the back of the police car.

The door slammed behind him and he stared blankly out the window. Anna suddenly appeared, dashing out of her apartment block, wide eyed, with fingers pressed over her mouth in shock. She was calling out something but he couldn't hear what through the thick bullet proof glass. She looked desperate. She looked guilty.

_Oh yeah, that's right. I can't say no to Anna._

* * *

**One hour earlier**

"What shall we do tonight?"

Anna was laid out on the sofa, her feet in Kristoff's lap. Sven lay at his feet, snoozing away. It was a perfect Saturday night. Kristoff could have quite happily sat here reading, but Anna was getting bored. He tossed his book down on the side table and looked at her.

"We could watch a movie," he suggested.

"No." Anna chewed on her lips as she considered. "Let's play a game or something."

_A game?_ The only games he'd ever played with Anna were Pictionary and Who Am I? and he was awful at both. "OK. You got Scrabble?"

"Yeah but that's too dull. Let's play a **drinking** game!" Her voice got really high and excited with the last, her eyes shining bright. She snapped upright with the brilliance of her suggestion.

"A drinking game?" Kristoff was cynical. True, the only time he'd seen Anna really drunk she had been more of a sleepy, honest kind of drunk than a riotous one but… _You're in her apartment. What can go wrong?_ "What kind of drinking game?"

"How about Truth or Dare?" she said with a kind of frightening glint in her eye. "Basically, we take turns and you either have to-"

"I know what Truth or Dare is," he interrupted. It seemed dangerous. They'd only been dating for three months. There were things he hadn't told her. There were things he didn't ever want to share with her unless he had to. And there were things about her that he didn't need to know either. But he supposed he could always choose Dare. "Alright," he agreed warily. "But be gentle with me."

She squealed and clapped her hands together, spinning her legs round on the couch and jumping up. She ran to the kitchen and brought back two glasses and a bottle of something brown.

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Rum. Now, you have to do a shot if you lie, and if you change your mind half way through your go. Oh, and I think we should do a shot along with every dare as well."

"The shot's not the dare?"

"No."

Kristoff rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Alright," he agreed again. He always agreed way too easily. "But you go first."

"OK," she grinned and narrowed her eyes at him while she considered. "Truth."

_Damn. Dare would have been easier._

"OK…" he glanced around her apartment as if that would magically give him the question he needed but glancing around her apartment only made him think _Hans, Hans, Hans_ and he didn't want to know **anything** about Hans. His eyes fell on the battered, grey, cuddly toy he'd rescued for her from the road side. "Where did you get Ducky?"

She groaned in exasperation. "From my parents when I was five. That was a terrible question. Try again."

"Really?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes and sat back into the couch, dropping his head back against the cushions. "OK...um...why do you always wear your hair in braids?"

Anna glanced down and to her right, lifting a braid to look at it questioningly. "You don't like it?"

"No, no! I really like it! It's cute! It's just...different isn't it? But different is good. I **like** different." _Fucking hell. Why couldn't we just play Scrabble?_

"Oh. OK then," she smiled, appeased easily. "I used to love the Pippi Longstockings books. I started wearing my hair like this to be like her and it just kind of stuck. Now you have to do a shot."

"What?! Why?" Kristoff exclaimed.

"Because your questions were boring. Two strikes and you're out. Shot."

"Rigged," he grumbled but he leant forward and poured out a shot of rum, knocking it back in one swift motion. _Ugh. Too sweet. Of course Anna would keep overly sweet liqueur in stock. Couldn't have something nice like whiskey._

"Your turn!" she sang brightly.

"OK…" His gaze bore into his girlfriend wondering just how mean she was going to be. But this was Anna, right? She was lovely. _But she's also spunky and, at times, a bit crazy._ "Truth."

"Who was your first kiss?" she asked straight away, as if she had been bottling that one up for ages.

"A girl called Katie Welder. She went to my school."

"Kristoff and Katie," she mused. "That's got a nice ring to it."

"I prefer Kristoff and Anna," he retorted with a smirk and was awarded a mushy smile.

"How old were you?"

"Hey! That's a second question. You can't have two!" he argued, with affected vexation. He didn't really care, but if she was going to make up rules then so was he.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine," she conceded, then: "I'll go with a Truth."

"Who was **your** first kiss?" he asked immediately. This would be fine if he just followed her lead.

She leaned into him and poked him in the arm. "No repetition! You have to do another shot!"

"What? No I don't!" His offense was real now. "Stop making up rules! Are you just trying to get me drunk?!"

"Maybe," she said with that wicked gleam in her eye that always made his brain go wonderfully foggy. "Or maybe you just need to try harder."

"OK fine. I'll do the shot, but then you have to answer my question."

She nodded all business-like. "Agreed."

The second shot wasn't quite so gross as the first. He placed the glass down at the table, tonguing his gums like he could clear the sweet taste from his mouth then looked at her expectantly.

"Archie. I don't know his last name. He was on vacation here. Summer romance."

"Anna and Archie…" he joked, letting her piece together the rest of the sentence herself. She giggled and raised a leg onto the sofa to kick at him playfully.

"I prefer Anna and Kristoff," she said with a grin.

"You have to do a shot!" he insisted quickly, victoriously. Her mouth dropped open. He mimicked her female voice as he explained: "No repetition! You have to do a shot!"

"That doesn't count," she mumbled, but she had a slight smile as she did what she was told.

_She just wants to get drunk with you._ He grinned. The realisation was pleasant and a little thrilling.

"OK, your turn!"

Kristoff pondered his choices. His two choices. He wasn't quite ready to throw caution to the wind yet. And Anna had that second question about Katie up her sleeve. It would probably be fine. "Truth."

"With who, when and where did you lose your virginity?"

"What?" he choked. That was exactly the kind of question he'd been dreading. "Hey, that's three questions. You can't have three! Shot!"

"I'll do the shot," Anna said slyly. "But you have to answer the questions."

"And if I don't?" he challenged.

"Then it's a shot for you too mister. **And** you'll have to do a dare."

He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her for signs of wavering. She was deadly serious.

"Oh come on!" she persisted. "You know all about my former lovers. All one of them."

Actually he hadn't known that. He'd always kind of hoped there had been someone else before Hans. The idea that that fucknut had been her partner in her first experience with physical love was really...sad.

_She's your girlfriend. You knew this would come up sometime._ He sighed, reluctantly caving in.

"Fine."

She grinned triumphantly.

He turned his eyes to the table. He didn't want to look at her when he said it.

"That girl Himani from the Ice Palace, 17, at the ice rink." The words were blurted out so fast he wasn't even sure she would understand him.

"At the ice rink?!" she gasped. "How is that-? I mean- Wasn't it cold? And slippery?"

He glanced sidelong at her. "In the **staff room** at the ice rink," he clarified dryly.

"Oh," Anna giggled. And then: "I thought it was her."

His glance became suspicious.

"There's tension there," she shrugged.

"Yeah, well, she was kind of a bitch. You have to do your shot now."

She grinned and happily obeyed.

"I choose truth!" she announced, slamming her glass back on the table.

He folded his arms and sat back again watching her while he contemplated. He smiled. "Have you ever done anything illegal?"

"No!" she exclaimed straight away. "Of course not!"

"Shot," he grinned.

"What? Why?"

"You're doing something illegal right now, birdbrain."

She glanced at the bottle of rum and then back at him. "Oh right." She chuckled and reached for her glass again.

_If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was just screwing up on purpose._

"Go on then," she prompted, wiping her hand over her rummy mouth.

He didn't know what further truths she had up her sleeve and he wasn't sure he **wanted **to know.

"Dare," he said confidently.

"Yay!" She clapped her hands together and gave him a look so wicked he gulped, immediately regretting his choice. "You have to streak down the road to the 7-11 and back again."

"I have to **what**?" His eyes went so wide he could feel his eyebrows pushing into his forehead.

"You heard me. Clothes **off**." She sat back into the sofa smugly.

"I changed my mind. Truth."

"Aww," Anna pouted. "That's no fun. OK. If you do this, I promise I'll choose dare on my next turn and…I'll do **anything** you dare me to."

_Anything?_ That was a wide scope. "Anything?" he asserted out loud.

"Anything," she confirmed with a sinful smile.

He gulped again but for different reasons this time. _It's OK. It's a quiet street. Just a quick dash there and back again. It's not like you've never been naked in public before. Hell, Ma and Pa are __**always**__ naked._

"OK." _God, what the __**hell**__ am I doing?_

He reached for the liqueur bottle and poured out the required shot. He downed it and poured another.

"You don't have to do a second one," Anna said.

"Yes I do." After a third, his skin was buzzing and he resolved to just get on with it. He stood and started pulling off his shirt. Flinging it to the side, he realised Anna was standing too and she was reaching to help him unbutton his pants.

"Get away," he told her bluntly. "I can do it."

She jumped back apologetically. "Sorry. I was just trying to help."

_I don't think giving me a hard-on is going to help very much._

"Thanks," he said, trying to keep calm. "But I've got it."

He quickly pushed down his pants and boxers in one fell swoop. He heard Anna "eep!" with joy but he didn't look at her once as he stalked to the door. He opened it, took one tentative step out into the hall and then just ran for his life. _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

He pushed the front entrance door open with all his strength, both hands pressed against it and dashed out into the street. It appeared empty at first glance but, no, there was some old lady walking her dog on the opposite side. _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

He turned right and ran, ran, ran. The lights of the 7-11 sign were almost within reach when he saw it. A police car parked outside.

He skidded to a stop and turned and ran back the way he came but not before two cops exited the store.

"Hold up!" one of them bellowed.

_**FUUUUCK!**_

He kept running.

He was almost back at Anna's, only seconds from her front door, when he heard the _Bwoop!_ noise of the police siren and blue lights pulled to a stop next to him. _Busted._

He stopped. What else could he do? And, because he didn't know exactly how to behave in this situation, he raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright son," one of the cops said, climbing out the car. "You can lower your hands." He smirked at his partner. "We can see you don't have any weapons."

Kristoff did as he was told, his cheeks stinging with utter humiliation. _At least if Ma &amp; Pa find out, they'll probably just think it's hilarious. Oh God...and they'll tell __**everyone**__._

"But we **are** going to have to take you down the station," the cop continued.

Kristoff nodded dumbly.

The other cop handed him a blanket and he immediately wrapped himself up in it.

"What's your name kid?"

"Kristoff Bjorgman," he muttered.

"Kristoff Bjorgman. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been given to you?"

"Yes."

_How the hell did I let this happen?_

Kristoff's face was burning with shame as he was pushed into the back of the police car.

The door slammed behind him and he stared blankly out the window. Anna suddenly appeared, dashing out of her apartment block, wide eyed, with fingers pressed over her mouth in shock. She was calling out something but he couldn't hear what through the thick bullet proof glass. She looked desperate. She looked guilty.

_Oh yeah, that's right. I can't say no to Anna._

Her dare was going to be spectacular.

* * *

_**Notes**_

I've received a few prompts recently and I'd like to say thank you. TBH, this fic was kind of fading away to its inevitable demise but you've managed to keep the spark alive. Not sure when I'll next be able to update this fic, but suffice to say my motivation has been resuscitated. :)


	10. Sven

.

**Sven**

_Warning: _Trauma. Death of a loved one.

* * *

Anna loved Sven. How could she not? Perhaps he wasn't the most typically handsome dog ever, but he was adorable and smart and funny and the grey furball meant everything to Kristoff.

He was a crossbreed of an Irish Wolfhound and a Lurcher, Kristoff said, although even he wasn't 100% certain of that. His parents had brought home Sven-the-puppy for him when he was 11 years old. Some guy had been selling puppies on the side of the road and they had thought a canine companion would be just the thing their adopted son needed. It had been a difficult time in Kristoff's life and for the previous three years he had been pushing everyone away. He had been unforgivably brusque with Bulda and Cliff who were only trying to help a poor, grieving little boy. They had forgiven him for his surly, sullen behaviour. They would say there was nothing to forgive of course. And they had never stopped trying. Then one day they brought Sven home and it changed everything. Sven was loyal, fun, a confidant and his best friend. He had helped him open up to his new parents, helped him get through the difficult teenage years, made him feel like he wasn't so alone in the world. How could Anna **not** love him?

And Sven was intelligent. You could see it in his eyes, this spark of comprehension. He always knew what you were talking about and he was obedient when it suited him. He was funny too. Anna would often crack up laughing at the expression on his face whether he had one eyebrow raised in incredulity or his tongue lolling out with liberated glee.

She had worried, in the early days of her and Kristoff's relationship, that Sven might feel sidelined. She worried he would resent her when Kristoff told him he wasn't allowed to nap in his bed anymore because he didn't want Anna to have to sleep in dog hair, but he didn't. She worried he would resent her when Kristoff shut the bedroom door on him when they turned in for the night, but he didn't. She worried he would resent her every single time Kristoff made time for her over him but he never did. He was irrepressibly loving and joyful and it made Anna feel guilty because sometimes...she **did** resent Sven. She hated that she did, but she couldn't help it.

Kristoff led a very busy life. He was at college all week long, and worked every weekday evening. Then he'd work again on a Saturday and any Sunday shift he could score. So when, on the rare occasion she'd get a Sunday lie-in with Kristoff and Sven started clawing at the door needing to go for a walk, she'd hug Kristoff a little tighter and hope he would ignore the canine for just another hour. He never did though. As the months and then years went by, Anna got used to the intrusion. It was just part of their life together and it wasn't like she didn't get to have Kristoff all to herself plenty. It didn't take long before she insisted on being part of Sven's routine. Kristoff continued to get up early to give him his morning walk before college in the week but Anna would do the evening walk while Kristoff was working. And at the weekends, Anna would do the morning walks, giving Kristoff extra time to sleep a little more or shower before work. They would do the weekend evenings together though and it was Anna's favourite time of the week. She loved the times it was just her and Sven too. She enjoyed bonding with him. The first time Sven managed to open the bedroom door (Anna never learned how he did that) to wake them up and came to lick Anna's face instead of Kristoff's she was delighted. It was like she'd been accepted officially as Sven's family.

When Anna and Kristoff moved in together they found a little place outside of town with a garden. Sven was overjoyed. Despite his age he bounded around the tiny garden and cozy interior with unrestrained glee. It worked well for everyone really. Sven was able to let himself in and out at his own will. Again, Anna was never entirely sure how he managed it. Even though they always left the back door unlocked for him...still...didn't he need thumbs? Sly little mutt.

It was to be the last home Sven would ever know.

They enjoyed over two years together there before Sven's health started failing. He had beaten cancer a year before, but it returned and it was more aggressive than before. The vet told Kristoff the best thing they could do was to make him as comfortable as possible. So that's what they did for the following weeks. They loved him and spoiled him. Olaf came round too and he was as bad as they were.

Sven knew. Anna knew he knew. He constantly gave them all sad, patronising smiles, like he was saying _Hey, it's fine. I appreciate your efforts but there's nothing you can do here guys._ Kristoff had to pull Anna aside and give her a stern talking to on a number of occasions when she let her emotions get the better of her: warm, wet tears trickling down her cheeks; pathetic, wracking sobs overcoming her. But she kept it together as best she could. She knew it was devastating Kristoff, but **he** was managing to keep strong. She could too. For him. For **both** of them.

Anna was with Sven when he collapsed. She had fixed herself some lunch, and filled Sven's bowl with food too. She called Sven into the kitchen and he came hobbling in. Kristoff would tell her later (over and over again) that it wasn't her fault. It was inevitable. It was just her bad luck she was there, that she had been the one to call him into the kitchen. At the sight of the food, he had jumped up enthusiastically, but when he landed his back legs gave way. And he never got up again. He tried at first, front legs scrabbling on the floor, but he couldn't get purchase. Panicking, Anna had run to fetch a blanket, placing it underneath him to try and help but nothing worked. The muscles in his back legs had been eaten away. He would never walk again.

She phoned Kristoff and waited, sitting on the floor with Sven, eating together. When Kristoff arrived, his eyes were puffy and red rimmed. But he wasn't crying. He wouldn't cry. He sat on the floor with them wordlessly and they enjoyed each others' company. One last time.

When Kristoff returned from the vets…he wasn't **different** per say, but he was forlorn and Anna wasn't sure exactly how to handle him this way. She'd never seen him like this. He had always been her rock. She asked him constantly what she could do. And he constantly replied, in monotonous tones, "nothing". He was "fine", he said. So Anna flitted around, cooking, cleaning, anything she could do to make his life easier. Any small gesture that might help, even if he didn't notice it. It took a week. A week of stoicness that kept Anna strung taut. She was busying herself, as usual, when she realised she hadn't seen Kristoff for nearly an hour. The door to their bedroom was shut and she hesitated only for a moment before gently pushing it open.

"Kristoff?"

There was nothing. The room was dark, the curtains pulled shut.

She closed the door behind her and carefully stepped towards the bed...and the big Kristoff shaped lump under the covers.

She sat down, perching on the edge.

"I'm fine." The voice was weak and really did not sound fine.

Anna didn't accept it. She pulled the covers aside just enough to join him in his grief. She didn't say anything but stroked his arms, his neck, his face, his hair until he finally let her in. It was like a dam broke. He pulled her into a crushing hug and finally, finally, his tears spilled. Anna held him through it all until he had no more. Not that there wouldn't be more in the future. There would be. But gradually they adapted. **He** adapted. And the sadness became a part of them. It wouldn't take them over, but it was always there. Stitched into their very fabric.

It was 16 months later, on their 2 year wedding anniversary, when Anna felt bold enough to bring it up.

"Have you ever thought about getting another dog?"

The look Kristoff gave her could have wilted blooming roses.

"I mean," she hastily added. "It would be **our** dog, not just yours. And I wasn't talking about right away. Whenever you're ready. Or you might never be ready. I don't know. It's why I asked. It doesn't matter either-"

"Anna."

Anna shut up.

The "look" was gone, and he was smiling tenderly at her. "To be honest, I don't know. I can't really imagine it. Sven was...he was **family** y'know? I can't just replace him."

Anna smiled softly at him and reach forward to take his hands in hers. "I know. And of **course** you can't replace him. I would never ask you to do that. I just…"

He waited. Patient.

"...You told me what Sven did for you. How you felt so alone in the world. How he was everything to you. A friend. Family. Someone to love unconditionally and be loved by."

Kristoff inclined his head once. His eyes had taken on a distant kind of look. Remembering.

Anna swallowed. "I...I thought maybe **we **could be that. For another dog. We could go to the shelter. Find a dog that needs someone. Needs **us**. You, we, could do for a dog what Sven did for you."

Kristoff looked back at her. Anna looked away, embarrassed. It was a big ask. And she completely understood if he didn't like the idea. He squeezed her hands and she dared to meet his eyes again. The affection in them make her heart melt.

"Anna," his voice cracked and Anna felt tears prick her eyes. "That's unbelievably sweet. And...I love it. I love **you**. And one day...I would love to do that with you."

She smiled.

"Not today. But one day. We will definitely do that."

She nodded and felt a single tear roll down the side of her nose.

"I think Sven would approve," Kristoff added, his voice cheeky and, for the first time since, with not a hint of anguish.

* * *

_**Notes**_

So, I hope I didn't traumatise you too much with this. I knew it was going to have to happen at some point, considering Sven's age. But I wanted to give him a proper send off. It was quite emotionally wrangling writing this and I'm sure it wasn't a laugh riot reading it but I'd like to think...realistic at least?

Anyway, thank you for reading this. I was hit with inspiration out of nowhere. Don't know when the next chapter will be up. But I'll make sure it's a lighter one! :)


End file.
